Abstract

The manufacturing process of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) leads to a considerable amount of greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to global warming. Using recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) to replace natural sand helps to reduce natural resources and energy consumption. In this study, the feasibility of manufacturing UHPC with fine RCA was investigated for the sustainable development of construction materials industry. We aimed to study the rheological properties, autogenous shrinkage, mechanical properties, and pore structure of UHPC with different amounts of RCA. The natural aggregate content was replaced with fine RCA at rates of 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 wt.%, and the packing density of the mixed fine aggregates in this study was estimated using a linear packing model. It was found that (1) the workability, mechanical properties, and deformation behaviour of UHPC with fine RCA were comparable to or even higher than those of UHPC made of high-quality aggregates; (2) the optimal replacement rate of fine RCA was in the range of 40–60 wt.%, considering the mechanical properties and deformation behaviour of UHPC; (3) the tensile strength, flexural strength, and Young’s modulus of UHPC increased by 6.18%, 12.82%, and 3.40%, respectively, when the replacement rate of fine RCA was 60 wt.%; (4) the maximum packing density of mixed fine aggregates presented a monotonic decreasing trend as the replacement percentage of fine RCA increased. These findings help to encourage and further promote the utilisation of RCA to produce UHPC.

Highlights

  • IntroductionUltra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) exhibits excellent mechanical properties and good durability, which have attracted considerable attention from scientific researchers and engineers

  • Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) exhibits excellent mechanical properties and good durability, which have attracted considerable attention from scientific researchers and engineers.To achieve such high mechanical performance and good durability, manufacturers design the mixture of UHPC to have a low water-to-binder ratio, a minimum pore size and steel fibres incorporated

  • It can be seen from the table that the amount of high-range water reducer increased with the increase in the percentage of Natural river sand (NRS) replaced, which indicates that the workability of UHPC decreased with increasing amounts of fine recycled concrete aggregates (RCA)

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) exhibits excellent mechanical properties and good durability, which have attracted considerable attention from scientific researchers and engineers. To achieve such high mechanical performance and good durability, manufacturers design the mixture of UHPC to have a low water-to-binder ratio, a minimum pore size and steel fibres incorporated. There are generally three ways for UHPC to reach sustainable development: (1) reduce the cement content in it by using more supplementary cementitious materials, (2) reduce the natural aggregate content in it by using alternative aggregates, and (3) consume less cement in it by developing new construction techniques [1].

Objectives
Methods
Results
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call