The Properties of Recycled Concrete

Abstract

The current approach of concrete reclamation (based on washing aggregates) has not been fully adopted by the industry due to the associated economic investment and the infrastructure required with the separation method, and also to the risk associated with the use of reclaimed material in the making of new concrete. The results of this project includes a better understanding of the behavior of new concrete made of the reclaimed by-product material by crushing. This knowledge significantly reduces the risk associated with the use of such concrete in practice and will encourage more plants to use it in making their new products. The preliminary results indicate that the recovered material is usable and in certain cases may provide an advantage over natural aggregates. In particular, it was noted that strength improves if concrete was crushed and reused in a short period of time.