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To solve the problems on resource utilization and environmental pollution of waste concrete and waste polypropylene (PP) plastics, the recycling of them into asphalt pavement is a feasible approach. Considering the high melting temperature of waste PP, this study adopted a thermal-and-mechanochemical method to convert waste PP into high-performance warm-mix asphalt modifiers (PPMs) through the hybrid use of dicumyl peroxide (DCP), maleic anhydride (MAH), and epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) for preparing an asphalt mixture (RCAAM) containing recycled concrete aggregate (RCA). For the prepared RCAAM containing PPMs, the mixing temperature was about 30 °C lower than that of the hot-mix RCAAM containing untreated PP. Further, the high-temperature property, low-temperature crack resistance, moisture-induced damage resistance, and fatigue resistance of the RCAAM were characterized. The results indicated that the maximum flexural strain of the RCAAM increased by 7.8~21.4% after using PPMs, while the sectional fractures of the asphalt binder were reduced after damaging at low temperature. The use of ESO in PPMs can promote the cohesion enhancement of the asphalt binder and also improve the high-temperature deformation resistance and fatigue performance of the RCAAM. Notably, the warm-mix epoxidized PPMA mixture worked better close to the hot-mix untreated PPMA mixture, even after the mixing temperature was reduced by 30 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effect of using waste granodiorite powder (WGP) as a cement replacement material in percentages ranging from 1 to 9% on various physical and mechanical properties of ordinary concrete was investigated. The resistance of produced concretes with WGP to the high temperature effects on the 28 days compressive strength were studied as well. Granodiorite is one of the well-known igneous rocks that have been used in previous research as a replacement for coarse or fine aggregates due to the hardness of its grains. However, rare studies have investigated its powder as a partial cement replacement material. Results showed the ability of investigated WGP with high surface area to act as a supplementary cementitious material that contributed to enhance the results of mechanical and physical properties of concrete. At traditional room temperature, the optimal replacement percentage was 7%, where the 28 days compressive and tensile strengths were improved by 28.3% and 17.3%, respectively. The optimal replacement ratio varied between 7 and 9% in the case of high temperatures, according to exposure time and temperature degree. Statistical and sensitivity analysis was conducted on 66 available compressive strength value represents all variables before and after elevated temperature exposure. While the regression equation showed good R2 value of 85.3%, sensitivity analysis indicated that compressive strength value is most sensitive to temperature, followed by WGP ratio and exposure time, with importance values of 56, 26, and 18 %, respectively. Results showed also that the setting times and consistency was decreased with increasing the replacement ratio with WGP, while the workability was slightly improved up to 5% replacement ratio. Furthermore, microstructure analysis showed that WGP can help to densify the concrete matrix due to its small size and ability to fill the interstitial voids in the concrete matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microwave heating, which is used for pre-treatment of concrete before it is comminuted, stands as a strong candidate for selective liberation of multiphase materials like concrete. This paper is concerned with the selective liberation of concrete's raw constituents (particularly aggregate) for recycling by considering the water content of concrete as a parameter of microwave heating for the first time. The deterioration law of the concrete's performance was characterized by the variation in the splitting tensile strength and relative dynamic modulus after heating by microwave at different water contents. Besides, tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of the interface transition zone (ITZ) between aggregate and mortar as well as to investigate the reasons for the stripping behavior of aggregate-mortar, which included the interface tensile strength test, temperature measurement, and porosity test. The deterioration law of splitting tensile strength and relative dynamic modulus revealed that the performance of concrete was subject to different degrees of damage depending on the water content. Furthermore, experimental results showed that interface bonding strength between aggregate and mortar was dramatically impaired, and a large temperature difference was generated between the aggregate and mortar during microwave heating. Meanwhile, the permeable pores increased considerably even when the specimens were dried. In the presence of water, the intactness of ITZ between aggregate and mortar was destroyed by microwave heating, and its performance was significantly lowered, which led to the occurrence of stripping behavior between aggregate and mortar. This was reaffirmed by the microstructure presented by scanning electron microscopy. Thus, the newly developed microwave pre-treatment improved by providing appropriate water contents for concrete corresponding to different strength grades is a promising method for recycling aggregate from waste concrete.

This study investigated the compression molding of hybrid composite materials using waste concrete powder (WCP) and bagasse fiber (BF) as a novel reuse procedure for waste concrete. The matrix of the composite material was applied to powder-type polyethylene (PE) to facilitate the compression molding of the gas vent. The WCP was obtained by milling siliceous waste concrete using a pot mill procedure. The main constituent of the WCP was quartz. The flexural strength and modulus of the hybrid composite material, in which BF was added to mix the powder with PE and WCP, increased with increasing BF content and exhibited a maximum value at a BF content of 30 wt. %. Next, to improve the mechanical properties of the hybrid composite material, we attempted to improve the adhesiveness between PE and BF by increasing the molding temperature. The mechanical properties of the hybrid composite material with a BF content of 40 wt. % exhibited the highest values at a molding temperature of 413 K. Furthermore, by increasing the WCP content in the hybrid composite material with a BF content of 40 wt. %, the flexural strength exhibited the maximum value at a WCP content of 20 wt. %. Therefore, it was revealed that the composite material using PE powder and WCP could be strengthened by adding BF.

Polymer concrete (PC) was developed at the end of the 1950s and gained popularity in the 1970s for precast parts, flimsy floor coverings, and repairs. Due to its superior performance over traditional Portland cement concrete, which offers many benefits, including mechanical properties, quick hardening, and durability. In this article, polymeric concrete was made using a mixture of sand and epoxy, and different proportions of sand were replaced with crushed concrete waste. This study found that the ideal ratio between resin and fine aggregate was 23% resin to 77% fine aggregate in terms of the total weight of the combination to get the best dispersion of fine aggregate. Waste concrete replaced 5, 10, 15, and 20% of aggregate in PC, respectively. It was further demonstrated that increased waste concrete aggregate content in PC increased the 28-day compressive strength by 7.7, 13.44, 16.8, and 18.97%, respectively; flexural strength increased by 16.68, 25.32, 37.16, and 47.71% at 28 days’ age; and direct tensile strength was higher than the reference mixture by values of 3.41, 17.21, 23.54, and 30.38% at 28 days age. The findings recommended using recycled fine aggregate on PC and suggested a 20% replacement ratio as an optimum percentage.

In order to achieve the reuse of waste concrete, the hydrothermal synthesis of low-temperature calcined calcium silica products with an ideal admixture of fly ash and waste concrete as raw materials was investigated and various properties were studied. The findings suggest that the optimal method involves adding 10% fly ash to waste concrete to lower the temperature at which calcium carbonate decomposes. The compressive strength of the specimens generally increases with increasing calcium–silicon ratio and pressure can reach up to 43.98 MPa. Nevertheless, the duration of holding requires adjustment in line with autoclave pressure: the higher the pressure, the shorter the holding time, and vice versa for lower pressure. Most of the specimens are water-resistant with softening coefficients above 0.6 and up to 0.91. The macroscopic strength is determined by the way in which the microstructure of the hydration products forms under different conditions. The optimum design for the experimental conditions should be that the pressure, holding time and calcium–silica ratio should be 1.0 MPa, 9 h and 1.0, respectively. Due to their potential for resource conservation and environmental improvement, autoclaved silicate materials manufactured from waste concrete may be a viable alternative as a green construction material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The differences in physical properties, chemical properties, and mechanical properties between reclaimed concrete aggregate and natural aggregate are discussed in this paper. In this paper, the commonly used improvement techniques of recycled concrete aggregate are reviewed. Physical modification involves peeling the attached mortar layer using mechanical and thermodynamic means, including mechanical grinding and shaping, heat treatment, and microwave or electric pulse treatment. Chemical modification is based on the chemical reaction of some materials with recycled aggregate attached mortar, including acid treatment removal, water glass strengthening, carbonation strengthening, inorganic slurry strengthening, and polymer strengthening. Microbial modification is mainly based on the metabolic activity of specific microorganisms that induce carbon deposition modification. The results show that the reinforced technology of recycled aggregate has made some progress in improving the performance of recycled aggregate, but there are still some problems, such as inconsistent strengthening effects and the unstable compatibility of composite materials. In this paper, future research directions, such as the development of new strengthening materials and the integration of multi-functional strengthening technology, are described in order to provide some theoretical support for the utilization of recycled concrete aggregate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the main material used in various construction materials is concrete, which is a composite material containing cement, water, and aggregate. These ingredients are materials derived from sometimes limited natural resources. In addition, economic growth today uses a variety of materials and generates a lot of waste that directly affects the environment. This research compared concrete mixes using the wastes of concrete piles as aggregate and replacing 10, 20, or 30 % (v/v) of fine aggregates with plastic waste (PW) from the recycling process, called Recycled Aggregate Concrete or RAC. Sensors were installed on the concrete surface of samples to determine the early movement of concrete particles under compressive load. It was found that the RAC developed greater compressive strength compared to ordinary concrete using natural ingredients. Increasing the proportion of fine aggregate replacement with plastic waste in RAC decreased the maximum compressive strength and the rate of compressive strength development. In a similar manner, the repeated use of RAC as aggregate affected the compressive strength of the concrete and the rate of development. Increasing plastic replacement in the recycled concrete had a more substantial impact on recycled concrete strength than increasing the number of recycle times. PW replacement of 10 % of the fine aggregates is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the construction industry is challenged not only by increasingly strict environmental regulations, but also by a shortage of raw materials and additives. It is critical to find new sources with which the circular economy and zero waste approach can be achieved. Promising candidates are alkali activated cements (AAC), which offer the potential to convert industrial wastes into higher added value products. The aim of the present research is to develop waste-based AAC foams with thermal insulation properties. During the experiments, pozzolanic materials (blast furnace slag, fly ash, and metakaolin) and waste concrete powder were used to produce first dense and then foamed structural materials. The effects of the concrete fractions, the relative proportions of each fraction, the liquid/solid ratio, and the amount of foaming agents on the physical properties were investigated. A correlation between macroscopic properties (strength, porosity, and thermal conductivity) and micro/macro structure was examined. It was found that concrete waste itself is suitable for the production of AACs, but when combined with other aluminosilicate source, the strength can be increased from 10 MPa up to 47 MPa. The thermal conductivity (0.049 W/mK) of the produced non-flammable foams is comparable to commercially available insulating materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High carbon emissions, shortages of natural aggregates and environmental pollution of waste concrete powder (WCP) have become open issues for the traditional concrete industry. Aggregates prepared by crushing and screening waste concrete usually possess poor mechanical properties. Meanwhile, the WCP cannot be effectively utilized. This paper proposes a novel approach based on microorganisms for strengthening mechanical properties and improving CO2 sequestration of 'newly' artificial aggregates prepared by cold-bonding pelletization of WCP. Specifically, the microorganisms enhanced the artificial aggregates, resulting in their apparent density, crushing strength and water absorption increasing to 2620 kg/m3, 9.1 MPa and 4.8%, respectively. With the increase of well-crystallized mineralization products, the artificial aggregates exhibited a denser microstructure where the porosity decreased from 20.9 to 13.9%. The CO2 fixation of artificial aggregates increased from 7.4 to 16.0 wt. % due to the existence of microorganisms. The compressive strength of concrete indicated that artificial aggregate could partially substitute the natural aggregates without affecting its strength, and a better substitution rate should be controlled within 50%. This method improves waste resource utilization and CO2 emission reduction, showing good potential for future applications. Preparation process of the artificial aggregate and its application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant biomass has been widely used as an exogenous carbon source for constructed wetlands to increase nitrogen removal efficiency, but a convenient and efficient addition strategy is lacking. In this study, a new strategy was developed and tested in full-scale horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands, i.e., designing a decomposition zone in front of the constructed wetland, adding plant biomass directly to the decomposition zone, and re-adding the refractory parts to the decomposition zone after removal from the decomposition zone and treatment with alkaline leachate. Adding straw significantly increased the average total nitrogen removal efficiency from 36.0% to 44.9% without a significant increase in the chemical oxygen demand concentration. The refractory straw significantly increased the total nitrogen removal efficiency after it was removed, treated with alkaline leachate, and re-added to the system. Every 1 g of raw straw or refractory straw removed 0.088 g or 0.038 g of nitrate, respectively. The relative abundances of Bacillacea, Gemmatimonadaceae , Blastocatellaceae , and Caldilineaceae , which are associated with denitrification, increased after straw addition. The relative abundances of the functional groups of the bacterial community associated with organic matter degradation increased with straw addition, and the functional groups of the bacterial communities associated with nitrogen cycling were positively correlated with the nitrogen concentration. The strategy developed in this study is convenient and efficient for increasing the nitrogen removal efficiency by increasing plant biomass and can be applied in several scenarios. [Display omitted] • Plant biomass addition requires a decomposition zone in constructed wetlands. • Adding refractory straw after alkaline treatment boosts denitrification. • Every 1 g of wheat straw removed 0.099 g nitrate after two additions. • Straw increases the relative abundance of some denitrification bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling waste concrete has become a large problem in developing countries. The aim of this work is to provide guidance for screening concrete particles and improving screening efficiency. First, the elastoplastic collision model is established for calculating the coefficient of restitution for concrete particles with different compressive strengths. Then, a bar circular vibrating screen is applied to simulate the screening process of concrete particles by using the discrete element method (DEM). The optimal vibrating parameters, which contain amplitude, frequency and inclination angles, is analyzed for the representative concrete particles containing C15, C45 and C80 by comparing the screening efficiency. The results show that the optimal screening parameters of amplitude and frequency is smaller with the increase in the compressive strength of the concrete particles. Appropriately, the large inclination angle is suitable for screening fine concrete particles with a gap vibrating screen. This work should be helpful for the screening process of concrete waste particles and provides a theoretical basis and simulation case for screening and recycling other particles, such as sand, stone, iron ore and copper ore. In the screening processes of construction wastes, the optimal screening parameters can be selected quickly by calculating the coefficient of restitution and adopting the DEM simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study optimized a co-solvent free electrochemical method for biodiesel synthesis using graphite electrode and waste concrete heterogeneous catalyst. Various parameters were evaluated, including: applied voltage (9.6, 14.4, 19.2 V), catalyst particle size uniformity (unfiltered and filtered with 150 mesh), and reaction time (15, 30, 120, 240 min). The results obtained 100% FAME content and 78.51% of biodiesel yield that were achieved at 14.4 V within 30 min using filtered catalyst and cooking oil feedstock. However, a slight decline was observed with the use of waste cooking oil. This optimized method offers a reliable and simple condition for mass biodiesel production. Copyright © 2021 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world; as such, the best way to promote a more sustainable construction industry is to improve the environmental performance of this material. Since cement production is the main source of the high environmental impact of concrete, due to the high calcination temperature that clinker requires, replacing this binder with recycled cement would allow for the establishment of a new concrete design with a much lower ecological footprint. This research intends to analyse the mechanical performance of mortars with recycled cement and fly ash. Mixes with two replacement ratios of recycled cement (5% and 10%) were studied separately or in combination with fly ash (10% and 20%). An exhaustive experimental programme was designed to assess the variation in air content, density, compressive and flexural strengths, modulus of elasticity, and ultrasonic pulse velocity. The results suggest that the simultaneous use of recycled cement and fly ash improves the mechanical performance of mortars relative to those with recycled cement only or fly ash only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, zeolites were synthesized from calcareous waste concrete powder (WCP) using a hydrothermal synthesis method. Effective utilization methods of waste concrete are required worldwide for prolonging the final dumping sites’ lifetime and for promoting a society that recycles. Calcareous concrete, which includes many calcium components, has been widely used. The WCP includes mainly calcite (at 66.9%) and quartz. First, we applied hydrothermal synthesis to raw WCP. However, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) revealed no zeolite synthesis. Next, we used the same approach on WCP-HCl (WCP with the calcium component removed by HCl treatment). For WCP-HCl, the synthesis of analcime-type zeolites was confirmed based on XRD and simple absorption tests, in which the WCP-HCl color changed from gray to blue upon its absorption of methylene blue. Finally, to determine the analcime synthesis requirements, we experimentally varied the synthesis. Analcime synthesis was observed at temperatures above 433 K after at least 12 h of heating and for NaOH solution concentrations above 2 mol/L.

Calcium carbonate precipitation and crystallization induced by urease enzyme to solidify soil is known as biocement technology. The uses of waste and cheap materials can make this technology more cost-effective and practical for applications. In this study, calcium ions were obtained by dissolving waste concretes in acidic liquid. Sand columns were treated by enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) with either concrete-extracted calcium or reagent calcium for comparison. Compressive strengths, calcium carbonate contents, and microscopic analysis on the treated sand were carried out. It was found that the compressive strength of the former could reach 833 kPa in the dry state and 204 kPa in the wet state after 5 times of EICP treatment, both of which were higher than that of the latter. The calcium carbonate contents could reach 2–3% after 3–5 times of treatment. Based on the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) analyses, the crystal type of calcium carbonate produced in sand was calcite. The comparative results showed that the treatment effect using concrete-extracted calcium was similar or better than that using reagent calcium.

Recycling waste concrete has become a large problem in developing countries. The aim of this work is to provide guidance for screening concrete particles and improving screening efficiency. First, the elastoplastic collision model is established for calculating the coefficient of restitution for concrete particles with different compressive strengths. Then, a bar circular vibrating screen is applied to simulate the screening process of concrete particles by using the discrete element method (DEM). The optimal vibrating parameters, which contain amplitude, frequency and inclination angles, is analyzed for the representative concrete particles containing C15, C45 and C80 by comparing the screening efficiency. The results show that the optimal screening parameters of amplitude and frequency is smaller with the increase in the compressive strength of the concrete particles. Appropriately, the large inclination angle is suitable for screening fine concrete particles with a gap vibrating screen. This work should be helpful for the screening process of concrete waste particles and provides a theoretical basis and simulation case for screening and recycling other particles, such as sand, stone, iron ore and copper ore. In the screening processes of construction wastes, the optimal screening parameters can be selected quickly by calculating the coefficient of restitution and adopting the DEM simulation.

This paper investigates the mechanical and shrinkage behaviour of concrete with recycled cement (RC) thermoactivated from waste cement paste and waste concrete. Overall, compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC), for the same water/binder ratio, the mechanical strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity were not significantly influenced by the incorporation of RC. The elasticity modulus decreased with the addition of RC and the shrinkage tended to increase at high RC content. The incorporation of up to 15% RC allowed the production of workable concrete with identical shrinkage and similar to higher mechanical strength than concrete with only OPC. RC proved to be a very promising more eco-efficient supplementary cementitious material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study optimized a co-solvent free electrochemical method for biodiesel synthesis using graphite electrode and waste concrete heterogeneous catalyst. Various parameters were evaluated, including: applied voltage (9.6, 14.4, 19.2 V), catalyst particle size uniformity (unfiltered and filtered with 150 mesh), and reaction time (15, 30, 120, 240 min). The results obtained 100% FAME content and 78.51% of biodiesel yield that were achieved at 14.4 V within 30 min using filtered catalyst and cooking oil feedstock. However, a slight decline was observed with the use of waste cooking oil. This optimized method offers a reliable and simple condition for mass biodiesel production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world; as such, the best way to promote a more sustainable construction industry is to improve the environmental performance of this material. Since cement production is the main source of the high environmental impact of concrete, due to the high calcination temperature that clinker requires, replacing this binder with recycled cement would allow for the establishment of a new concrete design with a much lower ecological footprint. This research intends to analyse the mechanical performance of mortars with recycled cement and fly ash. Mixes with two replacement ratios of recycled cement (5% and 10%) were studied separately or in combination with fly ash (10% and 20%). An exhaustive experimental programme was designed to assess the variation in air content, density, compressive and flexural strengths, modulus of elasticity, and ultrasonic pulse velocity. The results suggest that the simultaneous use of recycled cement and fly ash improves the mechanical performance of mortars relative to those with recycled cement only or fly ash only.

The present study provides a correlation and regression analysis of lightweight waste aggregate concretes with varying degrees of fibre reinforcement. The concrete mix contains pre-soaked red ceramic waste aggregate, expanded clay coarse aggregate and Portland cement. Copper-coated crimped steel fibre was used as the reinforcement. The experimental results included properties measured by destructive test methods—compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, static modulus of elasticity, the limit of proportionality, shear strength; and by non-destructive test methods—dynamic modulus of elasticity and surface electrical resistivity. These properties were analysed to study the relevancy and significance between non-destructive and destructive methods of measurement in the case of different amounts of fibre. The results show differences in the degree of fit to the linear and quadratic regression curves for pairs of destructive and non-destructive test results. As expected, the linear relationship can be applied in a few cases, but the quadratic curve must be used for a few pairs. Another observation is that it is not possible to neglect the amount of fibre in the correlation analyses of the measured properties.

Quarry aggregate reserves are depleting rapidly within Australia and the rest of the world due to an increasing demand for aggregates driven by expansion in construction. The annual production of premix concrete in Australia is approximately 30 million cubic meters, while 3–5% of concrete delivered to site remains unused and is disposed of in landfill or crushing plants. The production of coarse aggregates using this waste concrete is potentially a sustainable approach to reduce environmental and economic impact. A testing program has been conducted to investigate mechanical performance and permeation characteristics of concrete produced using a novel manufactured coarse aggregate recycled directly from fresh premix concrete. The recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) concrete satisfied the specified 28-day design strength of 25 MPa and 40 MPa at 28 days and a mean compressive strength of 60 MPa at 90 days. Aggregate grading was observed to determine strength development, while low water absorption, low drying shrinkage, and higher packing density indicate that the RCA concrete is a high-quality material with a dense pore structure. The rough fracture surface of the aggregate increased the bond between C-S-H gel matrix and RCA at the interfacial transition zone. Furthermore, a good correlation was observed between compressive strength and all other mechanical properties displayed by the quarried aggregate concrete. The application of design equations as stated in Australian standards were observed to provide a conservative design for RCA concrete structures based on the mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concrete has been a common building material widely used for decades to build the infrastructure. As a results, considerable amount of waste concrete is produced which is hazardous to the environment. At present, recycling waste concrete is limited to the aggregates for non-structural applications. The low reactivity of waste concrete powder (WCP) limits its use as a binder. Therefore, this study is conducted to enhance the reactivity of WCP to increase its viability as an alkali activated binder. The study was conducted in two phases. In Phase I, the WCP was thermally treated at temperatures ranging between 600 °C and 800 °C and the impact of this calcination on the physiochemical characteristics of thermally treated waste concrete powder (TWCP) was studied. The phase transformation after calcination was analyzed by observing the properties of WCP and TWCP using scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. The physical changes were also studied by comparing the density, specific surface area and particle size distribution in WCP and TWCP. It was found that the thermal treatment of WCP resulted in the decomposition of several phases along with a change in quartz structure. Also with temperature increase, the increase in density and particles fineness was observed, which was significant when thermal treatment was performed at 800 °C. The alkali activated WCP and TWCP was prepared to explore the microstructure and strength. The reactivity and strength of TWCP was superior to that of WCP. However, the highest strength obtained after alkali activation of TWCP was less than 10 MPa which is not optimal for a primary binder. Therefore, in Phase II of this study, the performance of TWCP in a binary cement-based mortar was explored by blending it with 0–50 wt% ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and the series of experiments including compressive strength, flexural strength and drying shrinkage was carried out to characterize the properties of composites. The superior strength and improved drying shrinkage obtained by mortars comprising TWCP-800 were due to the combination of filler effects and increased reactivity. No significant change in the properties of mortar containing 10 wt% TWCP-800 was observed. Study reveals that the thermal treatment of WCP at 800 °C is optimal and a sustainable approach to producing a supplementary binder for alkali activated materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the mechanical and shrinkage behaviour of concrete with recycled cement (RC) thermoactivated from waste cement paste and waste concrete. Overall, compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC), for the same water/binder ratio, the mechanical strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity were not significantly influenced by the incorporation of RC. The elasticity modulus decreased with the addition of RC and the shrinkage tended to increase at high RC content. The incorporation of up to 15% RC allowed the production of workable concrete with identical shrinkage and similar to higher mechanical strength than concrete with only OPC. RC proved to be a very promising more eco-efficient supplementary cementitious material.

Carbon capture and utilization technology is the research stream dedicated to mitigating the pressing effect of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2). The present study investigates a potential environmentally conscious solvent to capture and utilize CO 2 using waste concrete and seawater under reactor conditions. Although seawater's CO 2 soubility is low due to salinity, waste concrete raises seawater's pH and alkalinity, acting as a feedstock for CO 2 dissolution and offsetting the adverse effects of salinity. To evaluate the performance of the novel natural seawater-concrete solutions for CO 2 capture, time-dependent pH changes of solutions exposed to CO 2 were measured in a microchannel using fluorescence microscopy. The concentration of dissolved CO 2 in the solution was derived from pH change, revealing a 4-fold increase in the total dissolved carbon from 0.034 to 0.13 M and a 57.54% increase in the CO 2 dissolution coefficient from 530 to 835 μm2/s in seawater upon concrete addition. Electrolysis further enhanced the CO 2 capture capacity of the seawater-concrete solution by increasing the pH, enabling the solid precipitation of carbonate minerals. Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed that electrolysis-driven precipitates are mainly amorphous calcium carbonates, useful building blocks for seashells and coral reefs. [Display omitted] • Waste concrete-based natural seawater solution is used for carbon capture and storage. • CO 2 dissolution is analyzed using high speed fluorescence microscopy, a microfluidic approach, and the rapid equilibrium constant theory • The addition of water concrete increases CO 2 dissolution in seawater from 1.49 g/L to 5.72 g/L (4 times increased) with a 57.54% higher dissolution rate. • With electrolysis, concrete based seawater solution was able to store the carbon in from of carbonate minerals (CaCO 3 and MgCO 3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quarry aggregate reserves are depleting rapidly within Australia and the rest of the world due to an increasing demand for aggregates driven by expansion in construction. The annual production of premix concrete in Australia is approximately 30 million cubic meters, while 3–5% of concrete delivered to site remains unused and is disposed of in landfill or crushing plants. The production of coarse aggregates using this waste concrete is potentially a sustainable approach to reduce environmental and economic impact. A testing program has been conducted to investigate mechanical performance and permeation characteristics of concrete produced using a novel manufactured coarse aggregate recycled directly from fresh premix concrete. The recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) concrete satisfied the specified 28-day design strength of 25 MPa and 40 MPa at 28 days and a mean compressive strength of 60 MPa at 90 days. Aggregate grading was observed to determine strength development, while low water absorption, low drying shrinkage, and higher packing density indicate that the RCA concrete is a high-quality material with a dense pore structure. The rough fracture surface of the aggregate increased the bond between C-S-H gel matrix and RCA at the interfacial transition zone. Furthermore, a good correlation was observed between compressive strength and all other mechanical properties displayed by the quarried aggregate concrete. The application of design equations as stated in Australian standards were observed to provide a conservative design for RCA concrete structures based on the mechanical properties.

Katı atıkların yönetimi, günümüzde gelişmiş toplumların en büyük sorunlarından biri haline gelmiştir. Yeşil bina konseptiyle birlikte atik malzemelerin geri dönüştürülerek yeniden kullanılması önem kazanmıştır. Sürdürülebilir hayatta inşaat yıkıntı atıklarının çevreye verdiği zarar geri kazanılmış agreganın kullanılmasını zorunlu kılmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, yaşı 7 gün ve sınıfı C30 olan beton atıklarından elde edilen iri ve ince agreganın geri dönüşüm agregası olarak betonda kullanım olanakları araştırılmıştır. Kırma agrega 0-4 ve 4-22.4 boyutlarında iki grup olarak kullanılmıştır. Kırma agrega grupları % 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 ve 100 oranların da ağırlıkça azaltılarak yerine geri dönüşüm agregası ikame edilmiştir. Beton örneklerinin 28 ve 90 günlük basınç dayanımları, 28 günlük elastisite modülleri belirlenmiştir. Elde edilen deney sonuçlarına göre; geri dönüşüm agregasının beton üretiminde kullanılabileceği ve sürdürülebilir beton üretimine ışık tutacağı görülmüştür.

Concrete is a major constituent of our world. Its contributes to building society but is also an important contributor to the global CO2 emissions. The combination of waste concrete recycling and greenhouse gas abatement is obviously an interesting approach. Mineral carbonation is the methodology that allows the use of calcium oxide within the concrete and transform it into carbonates with the CO2. Following previous results, carbonation experiments were performed using concrete paste extracted from a waste concrete sample after aggregate separation. The latter was performed after crushing and attrition followed by sieving to obtain three fractions. The coarser one composed of aggregates, the second of sand and the last, a fine powder of waste concrete paste (MCF). The MCF is then used in carbonation experiments in an 18.7 L stirred reactor with a diluted source of CO2 following previously optimized conditions. Different S/L ratios were experimented. The results show that 110 kg of CO2 can be stored per ton of MCF obtained after separation. Using the mass balance obtained from the experiments, an economic evaluation was performed on both aggregate separation and carbonation. While the first step can be profitable, using the MCF as a material for industrial flue gas abatement is less evident, both on the applicability and the feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mineral sequestration stabilizes carbon dioxide in carbonate form, its thermodynamic ground state. In the case of waste concrete, it produces precipitated calcium carbonate, a commodity. We propose an indirect, aqueous process consisting of six steps: (i) recovery of waste cement (primarily calcium silicate hydrate) from waste concrete, (ii) leaching of calcium from waste cement using hydrochloric acid, (iii) purification of the leachate through alkalinity addition, (iv) precipitation of calcium carbonate via aqueous reaction with sodium carbonate, four of which were investigated here. The omissions include regeneration of hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide solutions from sodium chloride solution through bipolar membrane electrodialysis and absorption of CO 2 by sodium hydroxide solution. Hydrochloric acid was capable of leaching all the calcium ions present in the fines when the stoichiometric amount was added. Results showed up to 70% of the total calcium ions recovered were associated with waste cement with the remainder from limestone in the aggregates. A bright, high-purity PCC was produced after purification to pH ∼11. The high-purity PCC particles were larger than what is typically used in paper manufacturing (∼2 μm) with metastable morphology. The particle size was reduced to ∼2 μm when the purification stopped at pH 9.0 and a magnesium containing PCC was produced; the morphology remained stable in de-ionized water for 24 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been a long time since humans started using waste materials in engineering applications. This approach not only reduces the yield of waste, while minimizing the costs of disposal but also limit the cost of new materials. In the field of construction, the reuse of waste concretes has been a strong research in recent years. However the processing of the wastes normally involves complicated processing and lab equipment. In this report we crush and dehydrate waste concretes with normal lab facilities and re-make the cement composites. The waste concretes were crushed and dehydrated at two temperatures, 1280 and 1400 ˚C. To balance the concentration of silica and lime, extra lime at 28.5 % and 16 % were added to the waste concretes. The resultant materials were evaluated with respect to the chemical composition, mechanical properties, and microstructures. It is concluded that the material dehydrated at 1400 ˚C and containing 28.5 % lime presents the best mechanical performance. This report presents a simple and inexpensive method to reuse the waste concretes in applications such as pavements.

Katı atıkların yönetimi, günümüzde gelişmiş toplumların en büyük sorunlarından biri haline gelmiştir. Yeşil bina konseptiyle birlikte atik malzemelerin geri dönüştürülerek yeniden kullanılması önem kazanmıştır. Sürdürülebilir hayatta inşaat yıkıntı atıklarının çevreye verdiği zarar geri kazanılmış agreganın kullanılmasını zorunlu kılmaktadır.Bu çalışmada, yaşı 7 gün ve sınıfı C30 olan beton atıklarından elde edilen iri ve ince agreganın geri dönüşüm agregası olarak betonda kullanım olanakları araştırılmıştır. Kırma agrega 0-4 ve 4-22.4 boyutlarında iki grup olarak kullanılmıştır. Kırma agrega grupları % 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 ve 100 oranların da ağırlıkça azaltılarak yerine geri dönüşüm agregası ikame edilmiştir. Beton örneklerinin 28 ve 90 günlük basınç dayanımları, 28 günlük elastisite modülleri belirlenmiştir.Elde edilen deney sonuçlarına göre; geri dönüşüm agregasının beton üretiminde kullanılabileceği ve sürdürülebilir beton üretimine ışık tutacağı görülmüştür.Anahtar Kelimeler: Yeşil bina, Sürdürülebilir beton, Atık beton, Geri dönüşüm agregası, Basınç dayanımı

The use of CO 2 mineral carbonation represents an attractive approach to recycling waste concrete. In this study, the effect of gas pressure, Liquid/Solid (L/S) ratio (w/w), Gas/Liquid (G/L) ratio (v/v) and reaction time for CO 2 sequestration were investigated. While carbonation of such matrix is already described, this study opens new insights in concrete carbonation. To increase the reactivity potential of concrete, the fine fraction (<500 μm), which contains mostly cement paste, was separated from the inert coarse aggregates. Separation was conducted by crushing and sieving. The ground fine concrete fraction showed enhanced reactivity with 75% of CO 2 removed (corresponding to 0.057 g CO 2 removed/sample) compared to that of raw concrete, with 54% of CO 2 removed (corresponding to 0.034 g CO 2 removed/sample). Tests were conducted under 144 psi of gas pressure (9.93 Bars) at ambient temperature for 10 min. On the other hand, the resulting aggregates fraction have an improved potential recycling value. The new proposed approach allows better carbonation efficiency and increases the overall valuation of waste concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been an increasing amount of waste concrete generated in recent years, which has made recycling more important. Waste concrete is generally recycled as recycled aggregates, and many studies have been conducted to seek ways to improve their quality. Such quality improvement processes has led to the generation of byproducts such as waste concrete powder, which needs to be recycled efficiently based on further research. Accordingly, this study was conducted with the aim to use waste concrete powder (WCP) to substitute silica powder in the manufacturing of the extrusion concrete panels in cases where high SiO2 content is not a requirement. The results of this study showed a negative correlation between flexural strength and silica powder-WCP substitution ratio. For example, 50% substitution resulted in a product that satisfied the required flexural strength over 14 MPa as stipulated by the Korean Industrials Standards, and it gave rise to properties such as specific gravity, absorption ratio, length change, thermal conductivity, and fire-resistance that were similar to those of plain specimens. Based on these results, it was deemed that it would be possible to use WCP as an alternative material in place of siliceous fillers in cases where high-purity is not required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concrete is a major constituent of our world. Its contributes to building society but is also an important contributor to the global CO2 emissions. The combination of waste concrete recycling and greenhouse gas abatement is obviously an interesting approach. Mineral carbonation is the methodology that allows the use of calcium oxide within the concrete and transform it into carbonates with the CO2. Following previous results, carbonation experiments were performed using concrete paste extracted from a waste concrete sample after aggregate separation. The latter was performed after crushing and attrition followed by sieving to obtain three fractions. The coarser one composed of aggregates, the second of sand and the last, a fine powder of waste concrete paste (MCF). The MCF is then used in carbonation experiments in an 18.7 L stirred reactor with a diluted source of CO2 following previously optimized conditions. Different S/L ratios were experimented. The results show that 110 kg of CO2 can be stored per ton of MCF obtained after separation. Using the mass balance obtained from the experiments, an economic evaluation was performed on both aggregate separation and carbonation. While the first step can be profitable, using the MCF as a material for industrial flue gas abatement is less evident, both on the applicability and the feasibility.

The emerging sustainable development movement in the construction industry requires the recycling of waste materials to reduce the negative environmental impact of construction activities. In many countries, old concrete, a major waste stream generated from the demolition of obsolete buildings/structures, is being recycled. However, for various reasons, progress toward concrete recycling varies from country to country. This paper discusses the current status of concrete recycling in the U.S. construction industry based on results from a two-part questionnaire survey. The first part of the survey collects information on the recycling practices of surveyed concrete companies. The second part adapts questions from a study conducted in Australia and Japan to examine the awareness, benefits, difficulties, and recommended methods related to concrete recycling. The findings showed that although recycling old concrete is common in the U.S., its application is mostly limited to backfill and pavement base; using waste concrete in new concrete production is not widely applied. There are also similarities and differences in the perceptions of concrete recycling between U.S. concrete companies and their counterparts in Australia and Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mineral carbonation (MC) represents a promising alternative for sequestering CO 2 . In this work, the CO 2 sequestration capacity of the available calcium-bearing materials waste concrete and anorthosite tailings is assessed in gas–solid–liquid and gas–solid routes using 18.2% flue CO 2 gas. The objective is to screen for a better potential residue and phase route and as the ultimate purpose to develop a cost-effective process. The results indicate the possibility of removing 66% from inlet CO 2 using waste concrete for the aqueous route. However, the results that were obtained with the carbonation of anorthosite were less significant, with 34% as the maximal percentage of CO 2 removal. The difference in terms of reactivity could be explained by the accessibility to calcium. In fact, anorthosite presents a framework structure wherein the calcium is trapped, which could slow the calcium dissolution into the aqueous phase compared to the concrete sample, where calcium can more easily leach. In the other part of the study concerning gas–solid carbonation, the results of CO 2 removal did not exceed 15%, which is not economically interesting for scaling up the process. The results obtained with waste concrete samples in aqueous phase are interesting. In fact, 34.6% of the introduced CO 2 is converted into carbonate after 15 min of contact with the gas without chemical additives and at a relatively low gas pressure. Research on the optimization of the aqueous process using waste concrete should be performed to enhance the reaction rate and to develop a cost-effective process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problem that the waste concrete has occupied land resource and destroyed the surrounding ecological environment，the waste concrete coarse aggregate were used to replace coal gangue for preparing cemented paste backfill. In this study，the initial slump and slump flow，rheological properties，the slump and slump flow after standing for 2 h，the bleeding rate，and the uniaxial compressive strength of the waste concrete paste backfill were measured respectively. The results show that: The waste concrete coarse aggregate has significant effects on the initial flowability，and with the increase of the replacemented rate of the waste concrete coarse aggregate，the initial slump gradually decreases from 25 cm to 22 cm. But it has little effect on the flowability of the waste concrete paste backfill after it sit；With the increase of replacemented rate of the waste concrete coarse aggregate，the yield stress and the plastic viscosity rise. The waste concrete coarse aggregate has a good depression on the bleeding rate of the waste concrete paste backfill，and with the increase of replacemented rate of the waste concrete coarse aggregate，the bleeding rate gradually decreases from 5.56% to 4.61%. With the increase of replacemented rate of the waste concrete coarse aggregate，the compressive strength of the waste concrete paste backfill specimens first increases and then decreases. A comprehensive analysis is needed to determine the reasonable range of the waste concrete coarse aggregate for replacing coal gangue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of acidic groundwater generated from acid sulphate soil (ASS) terrain is a challenging environmental issue in coastal floodplains of Australia. In this study, a laboratory column experiment was conducted to assess the performance of waste concrete for treating the acidic ground-water leachate from ASS terrain of the Shoalhaven region of NSW. The groundwater was highly acidic (pH of 2.5-3.5) and contained elevated concentrations of iron (10-90 mg/L) and aluminium (30-45 mg/L). Passage of the acidic groundwater through the column filled with waste concrete resulted in a significant improvement in water quality. Reduction in the concentration of iron and aluminium to below detection limits and improvement of the pH from acidic to near-neutral (pH 6-8) were observed, along with a significant release of alkalinity over a six month period under controlled laboratory conditions. The results show that the working lifetime of waste concrete as the reactive media was governed primarily by the precipitation of secondary minerals despite the high acid neutralisation capacity of the waste concrete material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study provides a correlation and regression analysis of lightweight waste aggregate concretes with varying degrees of fibre reinforcement. The concrete mix contains pre-soaked red ceramic waste aggregate, expanded clay coarse aggregate and Portland cement. Copper-coated crimped steel fibre was used as the reinforcement. The experimental results included properties measured by destructive test methods—compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, static modulus of elasticity, the limit of proportionality, shear strength; and by non-destructive test methods—dynamic modulus of elasticity and surface electrical resistivity. These properties were analysed to study the relevancy and significance between non-destructive and destructive methods of measurement in the case of different amounts of fibre. The results show differences in the degree of fit to the linear and quadratic regression curves for pairs of destructive and non-destructive test results. As expected, the linear relationship can be applied in a few cases, but the quadratic curve must be used for a few pairs. Another observation is that it is not possible to neglect the amount of fibre in the correlation analyses of the measured properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]