Abstract
The use of recycled materials in construction is a key strategy for sustainable development and reducing landfill space. Recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) are commonly used but often result in lower concrete quality, primarily due to weaknesses in the interfacial transition zone. To address this, aggregates were pre-soaked in various pozzolanic solutions, including micro-silica, micro-zeolite, nano-silica, and nano-montmorillonite. Mechanical tests (compressive strength, modulus of elasticity) and durability tests (drying shrinkage, sulfate attack, half-cell corrosion potential, electrical resistance) were performed to evaluate performance improvements in both short and long terms. Results showed an improvement in compressive strength for most treatments after 28 days, with nanosilica-treated concrete showing the highest increase (12.4%). Durability tests revealed the best performance against sulfate attack for concrete with aggregates treated in nano-montmorillonite and nano-clay solutions, with reductions in compressive strength of 19.39% and 18.19%, respectively, after 10 months. Microstructural analysis confirmed that pre-soaking aggregates in pozzolanic solutions positively affected both mechanical and durability properties. Zero-dimensional pozzolans showed short-term benefits, while two-dimensional pozzolans, like montmorillonite, had more significant long-term effects, offering a promising solution for improving recycled concrete’s overall performance, especially in harsh environmental conditions and challenging construction environments.
Published Version
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