Shrinkage and creep performance of concrete with recycled aggregates from CDW plants

Abstract

This research analyses the shrinkage and creep performance of concrete with recycled aggregates from various Portuguese construction and demolition waste recycling plants, studying the influence of the properties and composition of each recycled aggregate source on the characteristics of concrete produced with them. Recycled aggregates from four plants were used in the concrete mixes produced in this research, of which two were coarse recycled aggregates and two were fine recycled aggregates. During this experimental campaign, the behaviour of the mixes with recycled aggregates was evaluated by three fresh-state concrete tests (slump using the Abrams cone, density, and air content) and two hardened-state concrete tests (shrinkage and creep). It was found that the incorporation of recycled aggregates caused a qualitative drop in the concrete's properties. The properties of the concrete mixes were significantly dependent on the source (and composition) of the recycled aggregates.