Durability of Structural Recycled Aggregate Concrete Subjected to Freeze-Thaw Cycles

Caroline Santana Rangel, Mayara Amario, Marco Pepe, Enzo Martinelli and Romildo Dias Toledo Filho
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Caroline Santana Rangel: Department of Civil Engineering, COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-972, Brazil
Mayara Amario: Department of Civil Engineering, COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-972, Brazil
Marco Pepe: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy
Enzo Martinelli: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy
Romildo Dias Toledo Filho: Department of Civil Engineering, COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-972, Brazil

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 16, 1-21

Abstract: The increasing global demand for natural resources and the extensive production of construction and demolition waste (CDW) raise concerns for both the economic and environmental consequences that they can induce. Several efforts are being made with the aim to promote sustainable practices in the construction industry. In this context, one of the most relevant options refers to reusing CDW in new construction: specifically, the use of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) is attracting a growing interest. Unfortunately, although the behavior of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) has been widely investigated in the last few years, there are still knowledge gaps to fill on various aspects of the RAC performance, such as its durability in extreme conditions. The present study deals with the freeze-thaw performance of normal- (C35) and high-strength (C60) RAC produced with RCAs derived from different sources. Specifically, ten concrete mixtures were subjected to a different number of freeze-thaw cycles (namely, 0, 150 and 300), with the aim of analyzing the degradation of key physical and mechanical properties, such density, compressive strength, elastic modulus and tensile strength. Based on the obtained experimental results, a novel degradation law for freeze-thaw cycles is proposed: it unveils a relationship between open porosity of concrete, which is directly correlated to the peculiar properties of RCAs, and the corresponding damage level determined on RAC specimens.

Keywords: recycled concrete aggregate; recycled aggregate concrete; durability; freeze-thaw cycles; mechanical properties (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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