Performance Assessment of M35 and M40 Grades of Concrete Prepared using Construction and Demolition Waste

Abstract

Abstract: The world has, by now, identified the seriousness and challenges regarding the sustainability of resources amid major environmental concerns that are part of modern problems today. The construction industry all over the world has been explicitly using concrete owing to its quality, strength, and adaptability to various construction needs and situations. However, in the last few decades, increased awareness, legislation, and global initiatives to combat pollution, energy consumption, waste disposal, and global warming have pushed industries, researchers, engineers, and other stakeholders to substitute virgin materials with alternative construction materials. Construction and demolition account for about 30% of the total solid waste generated worldwide. The top ten countries including India and China which are contributing heavily to this waste stream, together generating about 2.5 billion metric tonnes every year. The C&D waste poses a significant strain on landfill sites, contributes to energy waste, and adds additional costs for its disposal. However, through careful sorting, processing, and recycling processes, a significant chunk of it can be reused and help minimise environmental impact. The work presented here involves fractional replacement of C&D waste aggregates viz., RCA and RA in amounts ranging from 05-25% as coarse and fine aggregates, respectively. Most of the previous works have not aimed at higher grades like M35 and M40, which form the subject matter of this paper. Several tests were conducted to estimate the fresh and hardened state properties of concrete, most important being compressive and tensile strength as well as slump test for workability.