Mitigating Environmental Impact Of C&D Waste Through Experimental Development of Eco-Sustainable Concrete with Recycled Coarse
Keywords:
Recycled Coarse Aggregate, Construction and Demolition Waste, Sustainable Concrete, Circular Economy, Environmental MitigationAbstract
The rapid expansion of the construction industry has resulted in massive consumption of natural aggregates, leading to resource depletion and environmental degradation. Simultaneously, the accumulation of construction and demolition (C&D) waste poses severe ecological and waste management challenges. Recycling and reusing this waste as construction material offers a dual benefit of reducing environmental impact and conserving natural resources. This research investigates the feasibility of utilizing recycled coarse aggregates (RCA) derived from C&D waste in concrete production, with the objective of developing eco-sustainable concrete. An experimental program was conducted in which natural coarse aggregates were partially and fully replaced with RCA at varying proportions of 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. The study evaluated fresh concrete properties (workability), mechanical performance (compressive, split tensile, and flexural strength), and durability behavior (water absorption, chloride penetration, and acid resistance). Results indicated that RCA concrete exhibits slightly reduced workability due to higher water absorption but maintains acceptable performance levels with optimized mix design. Compressive strength showed a decline at higher replacement levels but remained within structural applicability up to 50% replacement. Durability tests revealed moderate resistance compared to natural aggregate concrete, highlighting the need for surface treatments or blended cement for improvement. The findings affirm that RCA can be a viable alternative to natural aggregates, contributing to sustainable concrete development while mitigating the environmental impact of C&D waste. This study underscores the role of recycled aggregates in transitioning towards circular economy practices in construction.
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