Effect of Aggregate Gradation on the Properties of 3D Printed Recycled Coarse Aggregate Concrete

A simplex centroid design method was employed to design the gradation of recycled coarse aggregate.The bulk density was measured while the specific surface area and average excess paste thickness were calculated with different gradations.The fluidity,dynamic yield stress,static yield stress,printed width,printed inclination,compressive strength and ultrasonic wave velocity of 3D printed recycled aggregate concrete(3DPRAC)were further studied.The experimental results demonstrate that,with the increase of small-sized aggregate(4.75-7 mm)content,the bulk density initially increases and then decreases,and the specific surface area gradually increases.The average excess paste thickness fluctuates with both bulk density and specific surface area.The workability of 3DPRAC is closely related to the average excess paste thickness.With an increase in average paste thickness,there is a gradual decrease in dynamic yield stress,static yield stress and printed inclination,accompanied by an increase in fluidity and printed width.The mechanical performance of 3DPRAC closely correlates with the bulk density.With an increase in the bulk density,there is an increase in the ultrasonic wave velocity,accompanied by a slight increase in the compressive strength and a significant decrease in the anisotropic coefficient.Furthermore,an index for buildability failure of 3DPRAC based on the average excess paste thickness is proposed.

High-efficiency Carbonation Modification Methods of Recycled Coarse Aggregates

To solve the problem of only surface carbonation and realize high-efficiency carbonation of recycled coarse aggregate,the method of carbonated recycled coarse aggregate with nano materials pre-soaking was first put forward.The carbonation effect of modified recycled coarse aggregate with three different carbonation methods was evaluated,and water absorption,apparent density and crush index of modified recycled coarse aggregate were measured.Combined with XRD,SEM,and MIP microscopic analysis,the high-efficiency carbonation strengthening mechanism of modified recycled coarse aggregate was revealed.The experimental results show that,compared with the non-carbonated recycled coarse aggregate,the physical and microscopic properties of carbonated recycled coarse aggregate are improved.The method of carbonation with nano-SiO_(2) pre-soaking can realize the high-efficiency carbonation of recycled coarse aggregate,for modified recycled coarse aggregate with the method,water absorption is reduced by 23.03%,porosity is reduced by 44.06%,and the average pore diameter is 21.82 nm.The high-efficiency carbonation strengthening mechanism show that the pre-socked nano-SiO_(2) is bound to the hydration product Ca(OH)_(2) of the old mortar with nano-scale C-S-H,which can improve the CO_(2) absorption rate,accelerate the carbonation reaction,generate more stable CaCO_(3) and nano-scale silica gel,and bond to the dense three-dimensional network structure to realize the bidirectional enhancement of nano-materials and pressurized carbonation.It is concluded that the method of carbonation with nano-SiO_(2) pre-soaking is a novel high-efficiency carbonation modification of recycled coarse aggregate.

Effect of Modification Treatment on Chloride Ions Permeability and Microstructure of Recycled Brick-mixed Aggregate Concrete

The modification methods of pozzolan slurry combined with sodium silicate and silicon-based additive were respectively adopted to treat recycled coarse brick-mixed aggregate(RCBA)in this study.The compressive strength and chloride permeability resistance of recycled aggregate concrete(RAC)before and after modification treatment were tested,and the microstructure of RAC was analyzed by mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).The results show that the physical properties of RCBA strengthened by modification treatment are improved,and the compressive strength and chloride permeability resistance of treated RAC are also significantly improved.The modification treatment optimizes the pore size distribution of RAC,which increases the number of gel pores and transition pores,and decreases the number of capillary pores and macro pores.The surface fractal dimension shows a significant correlation with chloride diffusion coefficient,indicating that the variation of chloride permeability of treated RAC is consistent with the microstructure evolution.

Repair of Second-Generation Recycled Fine Aggregate of Waste Concrete from Freeze-Thaw Environment by Carbonation Treatment

The reuse of waste recycled concrete from harsh environments has become a research hotspot in the field of construction.This study investigated the repair effect of carbonation treatment on second-generation recycled fine aggregate(SRFA)obtained from recycled fine aggregate concrete(RFAC)subjected to freeze-thaw(FT)cycles.Before and after carbonation,the properties of SRFA were evaluated.Carbonated second-generation recycled fine aggregate(CSRFA)at five substitution rates(0%,25%,50%,75%,100%)to replace SRFA was used to prepare carbonated second-generation recycled fine aggregate concrete(CSRFAC).The water absorption,porosity and mechanical properties of CSRFAC were tested,and its frost-resisting durability was evaluated.The results showed after carbonation treatment,the physical properties of SRFA was improved and met the requirements of II aggregate.The micro-hardness of the interfacial transition zone and attached mortar in CSRFA was 50.5%and 31.2%higher than that in SRFA,respectively.With the increase of CSRFA replacement rate,the water absorption and porosity of CSRFAC gradually decreased,and the mechanical properties and frost resistance of CSRFAC were gradually improved.Carbonation treatment effectively repairs the damage of SRFA caused by FT cycles and improves its application potential.

Three-Dimensional Multi-Phase Microscopic Simulation of Service Life of Recycled Large Aggregate Self-Compacting Concrete

Recycled large aggregate self-compacting concrete (RLA-SCC) within multiple weak areas. These weak areas have poor resistance to chloride ion erosion, which affects the service life of RLA-SCC in the marine environment. A three-dimensional multi-phase mesoscopic numerical model of RLA-SCC was established to simulate the chloride ions transportation in concrete. Experiments of RLA-SCC immersing in chloride solution were carried out to verify the simulation results. The effects of recycled large aggregate (RLA) content and RLA particle size on the service life of concrete were explored. The results indicate that the mesoscopic numerical simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental results. At the same depth, the closer to the surface of the RLA, the greater the chloride ion concentration. The service life of RLA-SCC in marine environment decreases with the increase of RLA content. Compared with the service life of 20% content, the service life of 25% and 30% content decreased by 20% and 42% respectively. Increasing the particle size of RLA can effectively improve the service life of RLA-SCC in chloride environment. Compared with the service life of 50 mm particle size, the service life of 70 mm and 90 mm increased by 61% and 163%, respectively. .

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.

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.

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.

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.

Comparative carbon emission assessments of recycled and natural aggregate concrete: Environmental influence of cement content

This work examines the environmental and geochemical impact of recycled aggregate concrete production with properties representative for structural applications.The environmental influence of cement content,aggregate production,transportation,and waste landfilling is analysed by undertaking a life cycle assessment and considering a life cycle inventory largely specific for the region.To obtain a detailed insight into the optimum life cycle parameters,a sensitivity study is carried out in which supplementary cementitious materials,different values of natural-to-recycled aggregate content ratio and case-specific transportation distances were considered.The results show that carbon emissions were between 323 and 332 kgCO_(2)e per cubic metre of cement only natural aggregate concrete.These values can be reduced by up to 17%by replacing 25%of the cement with fly ash.By contrast,carbon emissions can increase when natural coarse aggregates are replaced by recycled aggregates in proportions of 50%and 100%,and transportation is not included in analysis.However,the concrete with 50%recycled aggregate presented lower increase,only 0.3%and 3.4%for normal and high strength concrete,respectively.In some cases,the relative contribution of transportation to the total carbon emissions increased when cement was replaced by fly ash in proportions of 25%,and case-specific transportation distances were considered.In absolute values,the concrete mixes with 100%recycled aggregates and 25%fly ash had lower carbon emissions than concrete with cement and natural aggregates only.Higher environmental benefits can be obtained when the transportation distances of fly ash are relatively short(15–25 km)and the cement replacement by fly ash is equal or higher than 25%,considering that the mechanical properties are adequate for practical application.The observations from this paper show that recycled aggregate concrete with strength characteristics representative for structural members can have lower carbon emissions than conventional concrete,recommending them as an alternative to achieving global sustainability standards in construction.

Effect of waste concrete with different strength on mechanical properties of recycled fine aggregate mortar

The influence of source concrete (SC) with different compression strengths on the workability and mechanical properties of recycled mortar made with river sand substituted by 100% fine recycled concrete aggregates (FRCA) is experimentally investigated. The basic physical performance test shows that with the increase in SC strength, FRCA exhibit lower water absorption and crushing index, meanwhile keeping higher densities. Mechanical property tests, including compressive strength, flexural strength and uniaxial compressive stress-strain tests, show that compressive strength,flexural strength and elasticity modulus of recycled sand mortars increase roughly with the increase in SC strength. The proposed mixture design method demonstrates that all of the components can be kept as the same as those in natural mortar mixture design and FRCA must be pre-wetted before making mortar mixture. Meanwhile, the reuse of higher strength SC can ensure that recycled mortar mixtures are able to achieve similar mechanical performance when compared to natural mortar designs.

Recycled Aggregates:Production,Properties and Value-added Sustainable Applications

Part of an extensive research undertaken by the Concrete and Masonry Research Group at Kingston University-London was reported to demonstrate through scientific research and full-scale site trials,that quality recycled concrete aggregates can be produced and can be used successfully in a range of concrete applications.The effects of up to 100% coarse recycled concrete aggregate（RCA） on fresh,engineering and durability related properties were established and assessed its suitability for use in a rage of sustainable applications.

Effect of Recycled Coarse Aggregate on Concrete Compressive Strength

The effect of recycled coarse aggregate on concrete compressive strength was investigated based on the concrete skeleton theory. For this purpose, 30 mix proportions of concrete with target cube compressive strength ranging from 20 to 60 MPa were cast with normal coarse aggregate and recycled coarse aggregate from different strength parent concretes. Results of 28-d test show that the strength of different types of recycled aggregate affects the concrete strength obviously. The coarse aggregate added to mortar matrix plays a skeleton role and improves its compressive strength. The skeleton effect of coarse aggregate increases with the increasing strength of coarse aggregate, and normal coarse aggregate plays the highest, whereas the lowest concrete strength occurs when using the weak recycled coarse aggregate. There is a linear relationship between the concrete strength and the corresponding mortar matrix strength. Coarse aggregate skeleton formula is established, and values from experimental tests match the derived expressions.

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.

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.

Controlled low-strength material incorporating recycled fine aggregate from urban red brick based construction waste

Sixteen controlled low-strength material( CLSM)mixtures with various cement-to-sand( C/Sa) ratios and water-to-solid( W/So) ratios were prepared using recycled fine aggregate from urban red brick based construction waste.The fluidity and bleeding of the fresh CLSM mixtures were measured via the modified test methods, and the hardened CLSM mixtures were then molded to evaluate their compressive strength and durability. The results showthat the fluidity of the fresh CLSM mixtures is 105 to 227 mm with the corresponding bleeding rate of 3. 7% to 15. 5%, which increases with the increase in fluidity. After aging for 28 d,the compressive strength of the hardened CLSM mixtures reaches 1. 15 to 13. 96 M Pa, and their strength can be further enhanced with longer curing ages. Additionally, the strength increases with the increase of the C/Sa ratio, and decreases with the increase of the W/So ratio under the same curing age. Based on the obtained compressive strength, a fitting model for accurately predicting the compressive strength of the CLSM mixtures was established, which takes into account the above two independent variables( C/Sa and W/So ratios).M oreover, the durability of the hardened CLSM mixtures is enhanced for samples with higher C/Sa ratios.

Strength and Chloride Diffusion Behaviour of Three Generations of Repeated Recycled Fine Aggregate Concrete

The feasibility of using different generations of recycled fine aggregate（RFA） in structural concrete in a chloride environment was evaluated by studying the performance of the RFA and the corresponding concrete. The different generations of RFA were recycled by following the cycle of ‘concrete-waste concrete-fine aggregate-concrete＇. The properties of three generations of repeatedly recycled fine aggregate（RRFA） were systematically investigated, and we focused on the compressive strength and splitting tensile strength and chloride ion permeability of the related structural concretes with 25%, 75%, and 100% replacement of natural fine aggregates with RFA. The results indicated that the quality of RRFA presents a trend of slow deterioration, but the overall performance of all RRFA still fulfils the quality requirements of recycled fine aggregate for structural concrete. All RRFA concretes achieved the target compressive strength of 40 MPa after 28 days except for the second generation of the recycled aggregate concrete and the third generation of the recycled aggregate concrete with 100% replacement, and all the concrete mixes achieved the target compressive strength after 90 days. The insights obtained in this study demonstrate the feasibility of using at least three generations of RRFA for the production of normal structural concrete with a design service life of 100 years in a chloride environment.

Seismic behavior of large-scale FRP–recycled aggregate concrete–steel columns with shear connectors

The application of fi ber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites for the development of high-performance composite structural systems has received signifi cant recent research attention. A composite of FRP–recycled aggregate concrete (RAC)–steel column (FRSC), consisting of an outer FRP tube, an inner steel tube and annular RAC fi lled between two tubes, is proposed herein to facilitate green disposal of demolished concrete and to improve the ductility of concrete columns for earthquake resistance. To better understand the seismic behavior of FRSCs, quasi-static tests of large-scale basalt FRSCs with shear connectors were conducted. The infl uence of the recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) replacement percentage, shear connectors and axial loading method on the lateral load and deformation capacity, energy dissipation and cumulative damage were analyzed to evaluate the seismic behavior of FRSCs. The test results show that FRSCs have good seismic behavior, which was evidenced by high lateral loads, excellent ductility and energy dissipation capacity, indicating RAC is applicable in FRSCs. Shear connectors can signifi cantly postpone the steel buckling and increase the lateral loads of FRSCs, but weaken the deformation capacity and energy dissipation performance.

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.