Properties characterization of interfacial transition zone of recycled concrete for reducing the resource waste and environmental pollution

Abstract

The extensive use of concrete results in a lot of resource waste and environmental pollution. More experts and scholars began to pay attention to the application of recycled concrete in construction engineering. The weak interface transition zone of recycled concrete is the fundamental reason for the deterioration of recycled concrete materials, components and structures. This paper summarizes the property and its characterization of interface transition zone of recycled concrete, which can improve the mechanical parameters such as elastic modulus and thickness of interface transition zone (ITZ) of recycled concrete. Through the nano-indentation technology and scanning electron microscope (SEM) technology can study the cracks in the interface transition zone of recycled concrete from micro to meso. The combination of the two technologies can make it easier to study the microstructure and mechanical properties interface transition zone of recycled concrete. It is concluded that elastic modulus of ITZ of recycled concrete is improved through adding fiber, slag, silica fume and other materials, and the thickness of that is decreased at the same time, which can strengthen the property of ITZ, which provides a better method for the study of the failure mechanism of recycled concrete.