Study on Durability of Recycled Aggregate Concrete in High-Temperature and Complex Environments

Recycled aggregate concrete refers to a new type of concrete material made by processing waste concrete materials through grading,crushing,and cleaning,and then mixing them with cement,water,and other materials in a certain gradation or proportion.This type of concrete is highly suitable for modern construction waste disposal and reuse and has been widely used in various construction projects.It can also be used as an environmentally friendly permeable brick material to promote the development of modern green buildings.However,practical applications have found that compared to ordinary concrete,the durability of this type of concrete is more susceptible to high-temperature and complex environments.Based on this,this paper conducts theoretical research on its durability in high-temperature and complex environments,including the current research status,existing problems,and application prospects of recycled aggregate concrete’s durability in such environments.It is hoped that this analysis can provide some reference for studying the influence of high-temperature and complex environments on recycled aggregate concrete and its subsequent application strategies.

Multi-Scale Investigation on Concrete Prepared with Recycled Aggregates from Different Parent Concrete

Recycled aggregates(RA)are frequently obtained from various unknown sources,which caused variation in properties among recycled aggregates concrete(RAC).This paper investigated the macro and microscopic properties of RAC prepared with RAs originated from different parent concretes with 90-day strength ranging from 30 MPa to 100 MPa.These parent concretes were prepared in advance and crushed to produce RA of distinct qualities.The attached mortar content can reach up to 69%in the concrete with highest strength grade.The microscopic investigation on different RAC was conducted with the X-ray Micro-Computed Tomography scanning technique and image process.Experimental results showed that the properties of RA derived from various parent concrete varied because of the amount of residual mortar.The development of mechanical properties and chloride-ion penetration of RACs all followed a binomial trend with the strength grades of the parent concrete because of the different quantity and quality of RAs.

The Compression-deformation Behaviour of Concrete with Various Modified Recycled Aggregates

Modified recycled aggregates were prepared with three different cement-admixture grouts. The physical properties, such as water absorption, apparent density, crushing index, slump and compressive strength of the recycled aggregate and the recycled concretes were tested, and the tests for the compression-deformation behavior of the concretes were also performed. The experimental results show that the cement-Kim powder grout is satisfied for enhancing the recycled concrete, and the modification of the recycled aggregate with the grouts can improve the toughness and the deformation ability of the concretes.

Compressive Strength, Pore Size Distribution and Chloride-ion Penetration of Recycled Aggregate Concrete Incorporating Class-F Fly Ash

The effects of fly ash on the compressive strength, pore size distribution and chloride-ion penetration of recycled aggregate concrete were investigated. Two series of concrete mb：tures were prepared. The concrete mixtures in series I had a water-to-binder ratio and a cement content of 0.55 and 410 kg/ m^3 , respectively. The concrete rnixtures in series II had a water-to-binder ratio and a cement content of 0.45 and 400 kg/ ml respectively. Recycled aggregate was ased as 20% , 50% , and 100% replacements of natural coarse aggregate in the concrete mixtures in both series. In cutdition, fly ash was used as 0% , 25% and 35% by weight replacements of cement. The results show that the compressive strengths of the concrete decreased as the recycled aggregate and the fly ash contents increased. The total porosity and average porosity diameter of the concrete increased us the recycled aggregate content increased. Furtherrruore , an increase in the recycled aggregate content decreased the resistance to chloride ion penetration. Nevertheless, the replacement of cement by 25% fly ush improved the resistance to chloride ion penetration and pore diameters and reduced the total porosity of the recycled aggregate concrete.

Freeze-thaw Durability of Recycled Aggregate Concrete:An Overview

The characteristics of surface appearances,mass loss,relative dynamic modulus of elasticity and strength loss of different recycled aggregate concretes(RAC) exposed to freeze-thaw cycles were analyzed.It was found that the freeze-thaw resistance of RAC could be determined by the recycled aggregate compositions and admixtures.Both the saturation degree and the air void structure were the key factors influencing the freeze-thaw damage on concrete.Some major proposed freeze-thaw deterioration mechanisms were utilized to interpret the freeze-thaw damage on recycled aggregate concrete.Meanwhile,some potential measures to enhance the freeze-thaw resistance of concrete were summarized and discussed.

Effect of flexural loading on degradation progress of recycled aggregate concrete subjected to sulfate attack and wetting-drying cycles

The degradation progress of recycled aggregate concrete(RAC) subjected to sulfate attack under wetting-drying cycles and flexural loading is studied. Three different stress ratios(0, 0.3 and 0.5) were applied in this test. The variations of relative dynamic elastic modulus Erd and water-soluble SO2-4 contents in RAC were used to evaluate degradation progress. The changes in mineral products and microstructures of interior concrete were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction(XRD), the environmental scanning electron microscope(ESEM) and X-ray computed tomography(X-CT). The results indicate that flexural loading accelerates the degradation of RAC under sulfate attack and wetting-drying cycles by expediting the transmission of SO2-4 into interior concrete. Furthermore, the accelerated effect of flexural loading is more obvious with the increase of stress ratio, that is because higher stress ratios can accelerate the extension of microcracks and generate more channels for the transmission of SO2-4. Also, more expansive products(gypsum and ettringite) are generated by the reaction of Ca(OH)2 with SO2-4, which can further accelerate the degradation of RAC.

Effects of Polypropylene Fibers on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Recycled Aggregate Concrete

The viability of using polypropylene fibers(PPF) in concrete was largely studied. Yet, few of the existing research studies investigated the effects of PPF on the properties of concrete containing recycled concrete aggregate(RCA). Mixes with different RCA replacement ratios and different PPF content were designed and tested. The test results showed that the addition of PPF did not change significantly the compressive strength and the density of the concrete, but slightly decreased its modulus of elasticity and Poisson’s ratio. The drop in the splitting tensile strength and the flexural strength due to RCA inclusions was to a large extent compensated by the PPF addition. The water absorption decreased and the percent voids increased with increased PPF addition. Correlations between the RCA content, the PPF content and the properties of concrete were studied. Useful regression models were proposed to predict the properties of concrete in relevant ranges of RCA and PPF content.

Improving performance of recycled aggregate concrete with superfine pozzolanic powders

Phosphorous slag （PHS）, ground granulated blast-furnace slag （GGBS） and fly ash （FA） were used as replacements of Portland cement to modify the microstruc^xe of recycled aggregate concrete （RAC）. A new manufacturing method named ＂W3T4＂ was proposed to improve the performances of interracial transition zone （ITZ） between recycled aggregate and mortar. The mechanical properties and the durability of RAC were tested, which show that this new manufacturing method improves the properties of RAC, and the GGBS with finest size makes a great contribution to the performance of RAC due to its better filling effect and much earlier pozzolanic reaction. Combined with GGBS, the effects of PHS on the retardation of setting time can be alleviated and the synergistic effect helps to make a more compact RAC. For the RAC with 25% of the recycled aggregate （RA） replacement and 10% PHS ＋ 10% GGBS additives, the compressive strength increases by 25.4%, but the permeability decreases by 64.3% with respect to the reference concrete made with nature aggregates. The micro-mechanisms of these improvements were investigated by the scanning electron microscope （SEM）. The SEM images show that the new manufacturing method, adding superfine pozzolanic powders and super-plasticizer benefits, makes a much denser ITZ in RAC.

Bond Behavior between BFRP Bars and Hybrid Fiber Recycled Aggregate Concrete after High Temperature

The aim of this study is to improve the bond performance of basalt fiber reinforced polymer(BFRP)bars and recycled aggregate concrete(RAC)after being exposed to high temperatures.The bond behavior(failure modes,bond strength,bond stress-slip curves)between BFRP bars and hybrid fiber recycled aggregate concrete(HFRAC)after being exposed to temperatures ranging from 20℃up to 500℃was studied by using pull-out tests.The effect of high temperatures on mechanical properties of concrete(compressive strength,splitting tensile strength)and tensile strength of BFRP bars was also investigated.The bond strength decreased as the temperature increased and the drop of bond strength between RAC and BFRP bar was larger than that between HFRAC and BFRP bar.As the temperature rises,the key factor affecting the bond strength was gradually transformed from concrete strength to BFRP bar strength.The relationship between bond stress and slip in the dimensionless bond stress-slip ascending section was established,which was in good agreement with the experimental results.

The Complete Stress-strain Curve of Recycled Aggregate Concrete under Uniaxial Compression Loading

The mechanical performance of recycled aggregate concrete （RAC） is investigated. An experiment on the complete stress-strain curve under uniaxial compression loading of RAC is carried out. The experimental results indicate that the peak stress, peak strain, secant modulus of the peak point and original point increase with the strength grade of RAC enhanced. On the contrary, the residual stress of RAC decreases with the strength grade enhancing, and the failure of RAC is often broken at the interface between the recycled aggregate and the mortar matrix. Finally, the constitutive model of stress-strain model of RAC has been constituted, and the results from the constitutive model of stress-strain meet the experiment results very well.

Study of the seismic response of a recycled aggregate concrete frame structure

Based on six-degree-of-freedom three-dimensional shaking table tests, the seismic response of a recycled aggregate concrete （RAC） frame was obtained. The analysis results indicate that the maximum story shear force and overturning moment reduce proportionally along the height of the model under the same earthquake wave. The story shear force, base shear coefficient and overturning moment of the structure increase progressively as the acceleration amplitude increases. The base shear coefficient is primarily controlled by the peak ground acceleration （PGA）. The relationships between the PGA and the shear coefficient as well as between the PGA and the dynamic amplification factor are obtained by mathematical fitting. The dynamic amplification factor decreases rapidly at the elastic-plastic stage, but decreases slowly with the development of the elastic-plasticity stage. The results show that the RAC frame structure has reasonable deformability when compared with natural aggregate concrete frame structures. The maximum inter-story drift ratios of the RAC frame model under frequent and rare intensity 8 test phases are 1/266 and 1/29, respectively, which are larger than the allowable value of 1/500 and 1/50 according to Chinese seismic design requirements. Nevertheless, the RAC frame structure does not collapse under base excitations with PGAs from 0.066 g up to 1.170 g.

Effects of Recycled Aggregate Content on Pervious Concrete Performance

A recycled aggregate(RA)was prepared by crushing and sieving demolished discarded concrete pavements and was subsequently tested and analyzed to determine its various physical properties.On this basis,pervious concrete(PC)mix proportions were designed.Coarse RA particles with sizes of 5–10 and 10–20 mm were selected.Concrete specimens were prepared with a water–cement ratio of 0.3,an aggregate–cement ratio of 4.5,the substitute rates of RA with 0,25%,50%,75%and a single-/double-gap-graded RA mix(mass ratio of particles with sizes of 5–10 mm to particles with sizes of 10–20 mm:1:1,1:2,2:1,2:3 and 3:2).Various properties of the RA-containing PC(RPC)were determined by analyzing the compressive strength,splitting tensile strength,effective porosity,permeation coefficient and impact and abrasion resistance of the specimens.The results showed the following:The density of the RPC decreased with an increasing RA replacement ratio.The density of the RPC prepared with a double-gapgraded RA mix was lower than that prepared with a single-gap-graded RA(particle size:10–20 mm)mix.The permeation coefficient of the RPC increased with increasing porosity.The splitting tensile strength of the RPC was positively correlated with its compressive strength.The compressive strength of the RPC decreased with increasing porosity.The regression analysis showed that the impact and abrasion resistance of the RPC increased with increasing compressive strength.In addition,all of the RPC specimens met the strength and permeation requirements.This study can provide theoretical support for the application of RPC.

Mechanical Properties and ITZ Microstructure of Recycled Aggregate Concrete Using Carbonated Recycled Coarse Aggregate

The effect of carbonation treatment and mixing method on the mechanical properties and interfacial transition zone（ITZ） properties of recycled aggregate concrete（RAC） was investigated. Properties of recycled concrete aggregate（RCA） were tested firstly. Then, five types of concretes were made and slump of fresh concrete was measured immediately after mixing. Compressive strength and splitting tensile strength of hardened concrete were measured at 28 d. Meanwhile, the microstructure of RAC was analyzed by backscattered electron（BSE） image. It was found that the water absorption ratio of carbonated recycled concrete aggregate（CRCA） was much lower when compared to the untreated RCA. Comparatively, the apparent density of CRCA was not significantly modified. The concrete strength results indicate that the mix CRAC-2 prepared with CRCA by adopting two-stage mixing approach shows the highest compressive strength value compared to the other mixes. The microstructural analysis demonstrate that the mix CRAC-2 has a much denser old ITZ than the untreated RAC because of the chemical reaction between CO2 and the hydration products of RCA. This study confirms that the ITZ microstructure of RAC can be efficiently modified by carbonation treatment of RCA and encourages broadening the application of construction and demolition wastes.

Compressive Performance of Fiber Reinforced Recycled Aggregate Concrete by Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer-Polyvinyl Chloride Composite Jackets

The development of recycled aggregate concrete(RAC)provides a new approach to limiting the waste of natural resources.In the present study,the mechanical properties and deformability of RACs were improved by adding basalt fibers(BFs)and using external restraints,such as a fiber-reinforced polymer(FRP)jacket or a PVC pipe.Samples were tested under axial compression.The results showed that RAC(50%replacement of aggregate)containing 0.2%BFs had the best mechanical properties.Using either BFs or PVC reinforcement had a slight effect on the loadbearing capacity and mode of failure.With different levels of BFs,the compressive strengths of the specimens reinforced with 1-layer and 3-layer basalt fiber reinforced polymer(BFRP)increased by 6.7%–10.5%and 16.5%–23.7%,respectively,and the ultimate strains increased by 48.5%–80.7%and 97.1%–141.1%,respectively.The peak stress of the 3-layer BFRP-PVC increased by 42.2%,and the ultimate strain improved by 131.3%,relative to the control.This reinforcement combined the high tensile strength of BFRP,which improved the post-peak behavior,and PVC,which enhanced the structural durability.In addition,to investigate the influence of the various constraints on compressive behavior,the stress-strain response was analyzed.Based on the analysis of experimental results,a peak stress-strain model and an amended ultimate stress-strain model were proposed.The models were verified as well;the result showed that the predictions from calculations are generally consistent with the experimental data(error within 10%).The results of this study provide a theoretical basis and reference for future applications of fiber-reinforced recycled concrete.

Recycled Aggregate Pervious Concrete: Analysis of Influence of Water-Cement Ratio and Fly Ash under Single Action and Optimal Design of Mix Proportion

Pervious concrete is recommended,which is of great benefit to the ecological environment and human living environment.In this paper,the influences of five water-cement ratios and four fly ash contents to replace the cement by mass with a water-cement ratio of 0.30 on the properties of Recycled Aggregate Pervious Concrete(RAPC)were studied.Following this,based on the Grey relational-Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution(TOPSIS)optimization method,the strength,permeability,abrasion loss rate,and material costs of RAPC were adopted as evaluation indices to establish a mix proportion optimization model.The results show that the increase of water-cement ratio and fly ash replacement level of RAPC leads to decreased compres-sive strength while an increase in the permeability and abrasion loss rate.According to test results based on the optimal model 0.30 was identified as the best mix proportion.In addition,ecological-economic analysis of RAPC raw materials was carried out by comparing different natural aggregates.The results of EE(embodied energy)and ECO 2e(embodied CO_(2) emission)pointed out that the combination of recycled aggregate and fly ash leads to sig-nificant ecological and economic benefits.

Effect of High Temperature Curing on the Frost Resistance of Recycled Aggregate Concrete and the Physical Properties of Second-Generation Recycled Coarse Aggregate under Freeze-Thaw Cycles

With the emphasis on environmental issues,the recycling of waste concrete,even recycled concrete,has become a hot spot in the field of architecture.But the repeated recycling of waste concrete used in harsh environments is still a complex problem.This paper discusses the durability and recyclability of recycled aggregate concrete(RAC)as a prefabricated material in the harsh environment,the effect of high-temperature curing(60℃,80℃,and 100℃)on the frost resistance of RAC and physical properties of the second generation recycled coarse aggregate(RCA_(2))of RAC after 300 freeze-thaw cycles were studied.The frost resistance of RAC was characterized by compressive strength,relative dynamic elastic modulus,and mass loss.As the physical properties of RCA_(2),the apparent density,water absorption,and crushing value were measured.And the SEM images of RAC after 300 freeze-thaw cycles were shown.The results indicated that the frost resistance of RAC cured at 80℃ for 7 days was comparable to that cured in the standard condition(cured for 28 days at 20℃±2℃ and 95%humidity),and the RAC cured at 100℃ was slightly worse.However,the frost resistance of RAC cured at 60℃ deteriorated seriously.The RAC cured at 80℃ for 7 days is the best.Whether after the freeze-thaw cycle or not,the RCA that curd at 60℃,80℃,and 100℃ for 7 days can also meet the requirements of Grade III RCA and be used as the aggregate of non-bearing part of prefabricated concrete components.RCA_(2) which is cured at 80℃ for 7 days had the best physical properties.

Experimental Study on the Axial Compression Behavior of Short Columns of Steel-Fiber-Reinforced Recycled Aggregate Concrete

In order to study the axial compression performances of short columns made of recycled aggregate concrete,four samples were designed with different recycled aggregate replacement rates and carbon fibre reinforced plastics(CFRP)sheets.Then,monotonic loading was implemented to assess the variation trends of their axial compression properties.The ABAQUS finite element software was also used to determined the compression performances.Good agreement between experimental and numerical results has been found for the different parameters being considered.As shown by the results,recycled coarse aggregates result in improved ductility and better deformation performance of the specimens.The failure of specimens caused by pre damage can be compensated by using CFRP sheets,by which both the resistance to deformation and the axial carrying capacity of columns can be increased.

Feasibility Study of Applying Recycled Aggregate from Building Debris in Concrete

Coarse and fine aggregate constitutes an average of approximately 55% to 80% of the total volume of concrete materials.Concrete remains the most commonly-used building material worldwide.As a result,the massive use of aggregate will have a direct impact on the earth′s natural resources if an appropriate replacement material is not found,violating the spirit of sustainable development.This study makes a preliminary examination of using coarse and fine aggregate produced from discarded construction materials in concrete.Results indicate that the compressive strength of densified mixture concrete at 28 days can reach 56.88 MPa(recycled materials used as coarse aggregate,and natural sand used as fine aggregate)and 53.33 MPa(recycled materials used as both coarse and fine aggregate).While this type of material is not yet fully understood,further research into this area should enable feasible applications in concrete.However,unsuitable mixtures have serious impact on the durability and overall economy of concrete.Pending further research on suitable mixture designs,a complete application of recycled aggregate in concrete can be expected.

Physical Model of Drying Shrinkage of Recycled Aggregate Concrete

We prepared concretes（RC0, RC30, and RC100） with three different mixes. The poresize distribution parameters of RAC were examined by high-precision mercury intrusion method（MIM） and nuclear magnetic resonance（NMR） imaging. A capillary-bundle physical model with random-distribution pores（improved model, IM） was established according to the parameters, and dry-shrinkage strain values were calculated and verified. Results show that in all pore types, capillary pores, and gel pores have the greatest impacts on concrete shrinkage, especially for pores 2.5-50 and 50-100 nm in size. The median radii are 34.2, 31, and 34 nm for RC0, RC30, and RC100, respectively. Moreover, the internal micropore size distribution of RC0 differs from that of RC30 and RC100, and the pore descriptions of MIM and NMR are consistent both in theory and in practice. Compared with the traditional capillary-bundle model, the calculated results of IM have higher accuracy as demonstrated by experimental verifi cation.

Effect of Recycled Aggregate and Slag as Substitutes for Natural Aggregate and Cement on the Properties of Concrete:A Review

Using recycled aggregate(RA)and slag instead of natural aggregate(NA)and cement can reduce greenhouse gas emissions(GHGE)and achieve effective waste recovery.In recent years,RA has been widely used to replace NA in concrete.Every year,several researchers conduct investigations on the mechanical performance and durability of recycled aggregate concrete(RAC).Due to the loose and porous material properties of RA,the mechanical properties and durability of RAC,such as strength,carbonation resistance,permeability resistance and chloride ion penetration resistance,are greatly reduced compared with natural aggregate concrete.In contrast,concrete containing slag instead of NA and cement generally improved the strength of concrete and reduced the internal porosity of materials.Herein,we discuss the effects of RA and slag on the workability,compressive strength,splitting tensile strength,ultrasonic pulse velocity(UPV)value,and elastic modulus of concrete.The relationships between the compressive strength and the splitting tensile strength,UPV value,and elastic modulus are discussed,and the optimal substitution method is proposed.In addition,various equations for calculating the compressive strength of concrete based on performance factors related to the compressive strength are summarized.