Abstract, <br /> The interest in using recycled construction materials is derived from the growth in construction and demolition waste due to rehabilitation and natural and technological disasters. The driving force for recycling concrete is three-fold: preserving natural resources, utilizing the growing waste and saving energy and money. While some waste concrete is currently being crushed and used for grading and base material for highways, it has not been used as the aggregate in new concrete in Canada, largely because of the plentiful supply of good quality virgin material. However, crushed concrete is being used in new concrete in other parts of the world where the local aggregate is inferior, and there is now a push within the Canadian cement and concrete sector to improve the industry sustainability, one aspect of which is recycling of materials. <br /><br /> The research done to date has emphasized the influence of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) on the workability and strength of the new concrete with little attention being paid to the behaviour in service. In contrast, the present study is focused on the durability of concrete containing RCA in reinforced structures. Since the most common cause of failure of reinforced concrete structures in this part of the world is corrosion of the reinforcement by de-icing salts, the focus of the project is on this aspect of durability. The project involves a comparative study of the durability of three concrete mixtures containing, as coarse aggregate: <ol> <li>new clean recycled concrete aggregate (NC-RCA) obtained by crushing the excess concrete returned to the ready mix yard; </li> <li>old de-icing salt contaminated, recycled concrete aggregate ( OC-RCA) from a demolished bridge over Highway 401 in Ontario; </li> <li>natural aggregate as a control material. </li> </ol> These three materials were crushed and sieved to give the same grading for each mix. Natural sand was used as fine aggregate. The mixes were adjusted to account for the different water absorption characteristics of the aggregates but were otherwise identical. Prism specimens with a centrally placed reinforcing bar, cylindrical specimens and non-reinforced slabs were cast from each of the concretes. After curing, the reinforced prisms were exposed to a saturated de-icing salt solution for two of every four weeks. For the second two week period, they were allowed to dry in the laboratory atmosphere or, to accelerate the process, dried at 32°C in a low humidity (18%) chamber. <br /><br /> The electrochemical corrosion behaviour of the steel was monitored using linear polarization resistance and cyclic polarization techniques. In addition, the physical properties of the materials were assessed. For the aggregates, water absorption, chloride content and susceptibility to abrasion were determined. For the concretes, compressive strength, salt scaling resistance and chloride permeability were measured and microscopic observation of the interfacial zones between the aggregate and the new cement paste were conducted. <br /><br /> On the basis of the results, it is concluded that the durability and the strength of the RCA concrete is very dependent on the age of the RCA aggregate. Water and chloride permeability, and, salt scaling and reinforcing steel corrosion resistance of concrete made with a very well hardened old RCA were comparable with or better than those of in normal concrete. Concrete incorporating new RCA exhibited inferior properties and consequently, it is recommended that, the OC-RCA concrete can be used as a sustainable material in structural applications.

Abstract, <br /> The interest in using recycled construction materials is derived from the growth in construction and demolition waste due to rehabilitation and natural and technological disasters. The driving force for recycling concrete is three-fold: preserving natural resources, utilizing the growing waste and saving energy and money. While some waste concrete is currently being crushed and used for grading and base material for highways, it has not been used as the aggregate in new concrete in Canada, largely because of the plentiful supply of good quality virgin material. However, crushed concrete is being used in new concrete in other parts of the world where the local aggregate is inferior, and there is now a push within the Canadian cement and concrete sector to improve the industry sustainability, one aspect of which is recycling of materials. <br /><br /> The research done to date has emphasized the influence of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) on the workability and strength of the new concrete with little attention being paid to the behaviour in service. In contrast, the present study is focused on the durability of concrete containing RCA in reinforced structures. Since the most common cause of failure of reinforced concrete structures in this part of the world is corrosion of the reinforcement by de-icing salts, the focus of the project is on this aspect of durability. The project involves a comparative study of the durability of three concrete mixtures containing, as coarse aggregate: <ol> <li>new clean recycled concrete aggregate (NC-RCA) obtained by crushing the excess concrete returned to the ready mix yard; </li> <li>old de-icing salt contaminated, recycled concrete aggregate ( OC-RCA) from a demolished bridge over Highway 401 in Ontario; </li> <li>natural aggregate as a control material. </li> </ol> These three materials were crushed and sieved to give the same grading for each mix. Natural sand was used as fine aggregate. The mixes were adjusted to account for the different water absorption characteristics of the aggregates but were otherwise identical. Prism specimens with a centrally placed reinforcing bar, cylindrical specimens and non-reinforced slabs were cast from each of the concretes. After curing, the reinforced prisms were exposed to a saturated de-icing salt solution for two of every four weeks. For the second two week period, they were allowed to dry in the laboratory atmosphere or, to accelerate the process, dried at 32°C in a low humidity (18%) chamber. <br /><br /> The electrochemical corrosion behaviour of the steel was monitored using linear polarization resistance and cyclic polarization techniques. In addition, the physical properties of the materials were assessed. For the aggregates, water absorption, chloride content and susceptibility to abrasion were determined. For the concretes, compressive strength, salt scaling resistance and chloride permeability were measured and microscopic observation of the interfacial zones between the aggregate and the new cement paste were conducted. <br /><br /> On the basis of the results, it is concluded that the durability and the strength of the RCA concrete is very dependent on the age of the RCA aggregate. Water and chloride permeability, and, salt scaling and reinforcing steel corrosion resistance of concrete made with a very well hardened old RCA were comparable with or better than those of in normal concrete. Concrete incorporating new RCA exhibited inferior properties and consequently, it is recommended that, the OC-RCA concrete can be used as a sustainable material in structural applications.

The growing demand of construction aggregates has raised concern about the availability of natural aggregates. Over two billion tons of natural aggregate are produced each year in the United States and that number is expected to increase to 2.5 billion tons by 2020. This has raised concern about the availability of natural aggregate. Discarding demolished concrete into landfills is a costly solution from an economical and environmental point of view. Many U.S. highway agencies are re-using Recycled Concrete Aggregates (RCA) as construction material. The use of fiber reinforcement in Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) has recently become a popular option in concrete construction because of its influence on preventing segregation, reducing early shrinkage cracks and increasing residual load capacity. Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR) is a major problem in concrete, especially when using RCA, causing concrete expansion and cracks. Recently lithium has been found to reduce expansion due to ASR. This thesis will investigate the effect, of fibers soaked in lithium nitrate on the mechanical properties of RCA.

A maioria dos processos de fabricação de um produto geram resíduos. Quando não se dispõem de uma tecnologia para o seu reaproveitamento, certamente este material será depositado na natureza e poderá ocasionar inúmeros problemas ambientais. Este trabalho trata da reutilização dos resíduos de concreto como agregado, para dosagens de concreto estrutural. Na maioria das vezes, os agregados provenientes de resíduos são considerados materiais de baixa qualidade, isso ocorre pelo desconhecimento de suas propriedades e da tecnologia para seu emprego. Fazendo uma pesquisa bibliográfica, teórica e experimental, o objetivo deste estudo foi de uma maneira informativa, contribuir para o entendimento do material, caracterizando algumas propriedades do agregado e do concreto reciclado. / Most of making process of a product produces residue. When there isn\'t a technology to use it again, certainly this material will be deposited in nature and it can bring about countless environmental problems. This work presents the reuse of concrete residues as aggregate, for dosage of structural concrete. Most of times, the aggregates provenient from the residues are considered low quality materials, it occurs due to the lack of knowledge of its properties and technology for its use. Doing a bibliographical, theorical and experimental research, the objective of this study was, on an informative way, to contribute for understanding of the material, characterizing some properties of aggregate and the recycled concrete.

Sustainable resource management and development have been at the forefront of important issues concerning the construction industry for the past several years. Specifically, the use of sustainable building materials and the reuse and recycling of previously used building materials is gaining acceptance and becoming common place in many areas. As one of the most commonly used building materials in the world, concrete, composed of aggregate, sand, cement and water, can be recycled and reused in a variety of applications. Using crushed concrete as fill and subgrade material under roads, sidewalks and foundations has been the most common of these applications. However, research has been ongoing over the past 50 years in many countries including Germany, Canada, Japan, the United States, China, and Australia investigating the use of crushed concrete from demolished old concrete structures to fully or partially replace the virgin aggregate used to produce new concrete for use in building and pavement applications. Producing concrete using recycled concrete aggregates (RCAs) has several advantages, namely, the burden placed on non-renewable aggregate resources may be significantly decreased, the service life and capacity of landfill and waste management facilities can be extended, and the carbon dioxide emissions and traffic congestion associated with the transport of virgin aggregates from remote sites can be reduced. This research is directed at benchmarking typical RCA sources for usage in structural concrete and investigating the inter-relationships between aggregate properties, concrete properties and the bond properties between reinforcing steel and RCA concrete. The experimental program focused on four main areas: aggregate properties testing, development of concrete mixture proportions, concrete fresh and hardened properties testing, and beam-end bond testing. Four coarse aggregate sources were investigated including one virgin or natural aggregate (NA) source, and three RCA sources. Two RCA sources were derived from the crushing of decommissioned building and pavement structures (RCA-1 and RCA-2) while the third source was derived from the crushing of returned ready-mix concrete (RCA-3). A variety of typical and non-typical aggregate tests were performed to provide a basis for correlation with fresh and hardened concrete properties results. A total of 24 concrete mixtures were developed and divided into three separate categories, 1) control, 2) direct replacement, and 3) strength-based mixtures. The control mixtures were proportioned to achieve compressive strengths of 30, 40, 50 and 60MPa with slump values between 75 and 125 mm and served as a basis for comparison with the RCA concrete mixtures. The direct replacement mixtures were developed to investigate the effect that fully replacing (i.e., 100% replacement by volume) virgin coarse aggregate with RCA has on the fresh and hardened properties of the resulting concrete. The strength-based mixtures were developed to investigate the influence of aggregate properties on reinforcement bond in concrete having the same compressive strength. In addition, two separate experimental phases were carried out which had varying compressive strength ranges, different RCA sources, and different suppliers of the same type GU cement. Concrete properties such as slump, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, Poisson’s ratio, linear coefficient of thermal expansion (LCTE), modulus of rupture and fracture energy were all measured. In total, 48 beam-end specimens were tested that incorporated three bonded lengths (125, 375, and 450 mm) and four concrete compressive strengths (30, 40, 50 and 60 MPa). Based on the results of the aggregate testing it was found that concrete incorporating pre-soaked (i.e., fully saturated) RCA as a 100% replacement for natural aggregate had slump values between 22% and 75%, compressive strengths between 81% and 137%, splitting tensile strengths between 78% and 109%, modulus of elasticity values between 81% and 98%, LCTE values in the same range, flexural strengths between 85% and 136%, and fracture energies between 68% and 118%, of the equivalent control (natural aggregate) concrete mixture. Overall, reductions in bond strength between natural aggregate and RCA concrete ranged between 3 and 21%. The strength of coarse aggregate as quantified by the aggregate crushing value (ACV) was found to be the most significant aggregate property for influencing bond strength. A regression model (based on the beam-end specimens test results) was developed to extrapolate the experimental development lengths as a function of f’c1/4 and ACV. The model, while not intended for use as a design equation, predicted that the required development lengths for the RCA concrete tested as part of this research study were up to 9% longer as compared to the natural aggregate concrete. A detailed flowchart of the various inter-relationships between aggregate properties, concrete properties and reinforced concrete bond properties was compiled based on the results of this research. A comprehensive guideline for use of RCA in concrete was developed based on the findings of this research. It includes a systematic decision tree approach for assessing whether a particular RCA source can be categorized into one of three performance classes. The range of allowable applications of a concrete which incorporates the RCA source as replacement of natural coarse aggregate will depend on the RCA performance class.

The effects of using alkali-silica reaction (ASR) affected recycled concrete aggregate (ASR-RCA) in hot mix asphalt (HMA) were investigated in this study. Dilatometer and modified beam tests were performed to determine the possibility of new ASR occurring in reactive aggregates within the HMA or re-expansion of existing gel. The Lottman test and micro-calorimeter were used to determine the moisture susceptibility of HMA made with ASR-RCA. A differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to evaluate the drying of an artificial gel and x-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to check for the potential presence of gel in the filler fraction of the ASR-RCAs. Micro-deval and freeze-thaw tests were evaluated for their potential to indicate the presence of excess micro-cracks or ASR gel. Expansion testing indicated that both ASR-RCAs were still reactive with 0.5 N NaOH solution saturated with calcium hydroxide (CH) at 60 degrees C. Dilatometer testing of HMA specimens in NaOH CH solution at 60 degrees C indicated a reaction between the asphalt binder and the solution, but little, if any, ASR. The lack of expansion in the modified beam test supports the binder-solution interaction. However, dilatometer testing in deicer solution at the same temperature indicated that some ASR may have occurred along with the primary binder-solution interaction. The volume change characteristics associated with the binder-solution interaction with and without ASR was supported by the change in pH and alkali concentration of the test solution. DSC/TGA testing indicated that the artificial gel dehydrated at approximately 100 degrees C. XRD analysis of the filler indicated that some gel may have accumulated in this fraction. Moisture damage testing indicated good resistance to moisture damage by HMA mixtures made with ASR-RCA especially compared to a virgin siliceous aggregate. Micro-deval and freeze-thaw tests can detect the presence of micro-cracks due to ASR in ASR-RCAs as higher mass loss than the virgin aggregate. The potential distress mechanisms that may occur when using ASR-RCA in an HMA pavement were identified. Results obtained using accelerated laboratory conditions were extrapolated based on anticipated field conditions. Guidelines for the mitigation of potential distresses in HMA made with ASR-RCA are presented.

Recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) is a construction material, which is being used in the Canadian construction industry more frequently than it was in the past. The environmental benefits associated with RCA use, such as reduced landfilling and natural aggregate (NA) quarrying, have been identified by industry and government agencies. This has resulted in some incentives to use RCA in construction applications. Some properties of RCA are variable and as a result the material is often used as a structural fill, which is a low risk application. The use of RCA in this application is beneficial from an overall sustainability perspective but may not represent the most efficient use of the material. Efficient use of a material means getting the most benefit possible out of that material in a given application. The initial step in efficient material use is evaluating how a material affects its potential applications. In the case of RCA, this includes its use in concrete as a coarse aggregate. RCA is made up of both aggregate and cement mortar from its original application. Its make-up results in absorption capacities, which are higher than NA. Its high absorption capacity indicates that RCA can retain a relatively large proportion of water. Internal curing of concrete is the practice of intentionally entraining reservoirs of water within concrete. This water is drawn into the cement at a beneficial point in the cement hydration process. This water allows for a more complete hydration reaction, less desiccation, a less permeable concrete pore system, and less susceptibility to the negative effects of poor curing. The potential for RCA to act as an internal curing agent was evaluated in this research. Two RCA types were studied in the course of this research, one RCA of high-quality and one low-quality. These were compared to one NA type, which served as experimental control. Neither RCA type was found to desorb significant amounts of entrained water at relative humidity levels between 85% and 93%. This behaviour indicates that they would not behave as a traditional internal curing agent. Within concrete, the initial saturation levels of these RCAs were 0%, 60% and 100% of their full absorption capacity. The mixtures ranged from 30% RCA (by volume of coarse aggregate) to 100% RCA. These mixtures were subjected to two curing regimes, MTO-specified curing conditions and moist curing, in order to gauge the internal curing potential of the RCA. Fully saturated RCA mixtures were found to retain water throughout the course of testing. They were also found to increase the rate of compressive strength gain at early ages in comparison to similarly cured NA mixtures. Full saturation was found to have a negative effect on the thermal expansion behaviour of the concrete at 28 days concrete age. Permeable porosity of concrete was measured as an indicator of more thorough hydration in RCA concrete, but any potential benefits were masked by the increase in permeable porosity associated with permeable RCA. When compared with NA control mixtures and RCA mixtures cured under ideal conditions, it was found that saturated RCA mixtures provided compressive strength benefits. Low-quality RCA, which lost entrained water earlier in the testing period than high-quality RCA, benefitted in terms of early age compressive strength gains under specified curing conditions. High-quality RCA, which retained a relatively higher proportion of its entrained water throughout the early testing period, improved later age compressive strength under spec-curing conditions. Mixtures with 30% RCA (by volume of coarse aggregate) were generally found to not significantly affect the tensile strength, elastic modulus, and permeable porosity of the concrete. Tensile strength and elastic modulus were found to be consistently lower in RCA concretes, while permeable porosity was consistently higher. However, the magnitudes of these changes were not large enough to be statistically significant based on the testing regime employed. Compressive strength was significantly improved at 28 days when the 30% RCA was fully saturated. 30% RCA mixtures significantly reduced the thermal expansion of concrete at 28 days, which could provide particular benefit to concrete pavement applications. Overall, RCA saturation in new concrete had both positive and negative effects on the properties of concrete, which should both be considered in the context of the application for which RCA concrete is being considered. Specifically, concrete applications with the potential for poor curing and the need for reduced thermal expansion could benefit through the inclusion of coarse RCA. For example, these benefits could manifest in reduced thermal cracking at slab joints and reduced thermal stresses due to temperature gradients in pavements.

Sustainable resource management and development have been at the forefront of important issues concerning the construction industry for the past several years. Specifically, the use of sustainable building materials and the reuse and recycling of previously used building materials is gaining acceptance and becoming common place in many areas. As one of the most commonly used building materials in the world, concrete, composed of aggregate, sand, cement and water, can be recycled and reused in a variety of applications. Using crushed concrete as fill and subgrade material under roads, sidewalks and foundations has been the most common of these applications. However, research has been ongoing over the past 50 years in many countries including Germany, Canada, Japan, the United States, China, and Australia investigating the use of crushed concrete from demolished old concrete structures to fully or partially replace the virgin aggregate used to produce new concrete for use in building and pavement applications. Producing concrete using recycled concrete aggregates (RCAs) has several advantages, namely, the burden placed on non-renewable aggregate resources may be significantly decreased, the service life and capacity of landfill and waste management facilities can be extended, and the carbon dioxide emissions and traffic congestion associated with the transport of virgin aggregates from remote sites can be reduced. This research is directed at benchmarking typical RCA sources for usage in structural concrete and investigating the inter-relationships between aggregate properties, concrete properties and the bond properties between reinforcing steel and RCA concrete. The experimental program focused on four main areas: aggregate properties testing, development of concrete mixture proportions, concrete fresh and hardened properties testing, and beam-end bond testing. Four coarse aggregate sources were investigated including one virgin or natural aggregate (NA) source, and three RCA sources. Two RCA sources were derived from the crushing of decommissioned building and pavement structures (RCA-1 and RCA-2) while the third source was derived from the crushing of returned ready-mix concrete (RCA-3). A variety of typical and non-typical aggregate tests were performed to provide a basis for correlation with fresh and hardened concrete properties results. A total of 24 concrete mixtures were developed and divided into three separate categories, 1) control, 2) direct replacement, and 3) strength-based mixtures. The control mixtures were proportioned to achieve compressive strengths of 30, 40, 50 and 60MPa with slump values between 75 and 125 mm and served as a basis for comparison with the RCA concrete mixtures. The direct replacement mixtures were developed to investigate the effect that fully replacing (i.e., 100% replacement by volume) virgin coarse aggregate with RCA has on the fresh and hardened properties of the resulting concrete. The strength-based mixtures were developed to investigate the influence of aggregate properties on reinforcement bond in concrete having the same compressive strength. In addition, two separate experimental phases were carried out which had varying compressive strength ranges, different RCA sources, and different suppliers of the same type GU cement. Concrete properties such as slump, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, Poisson’s ratio, linear coefficient of thermal expansion (LCTE), modulus of rupture and fracture energy were all measured. In total, 48 beam-end specimens were tested that incorporated three bonded lengths (125, 375, and 450 mm) and four concrete compressive strengths (30, 40, 50 and 60 MPa). Based on the results of the aggregate testing it was found that concrete incorporating pre-soaked (i.e., fully saturated) RCA as a 100% replacement for natural aggregate had slump values between 22% and 75%, compressive strengths between 81% and 137%, splitting tensile strengths between 78% and 109%, modulus of elasticity values between 81% and 98%, LCTE values in the same range, flexural strengths between 85% and 136%, and fracture energies between 68% and 118%, of the equivalent control (natural aggregate) concrete mixture. Overall, reductions in bond strength between natural aggregate and RCA concrete ranged between 3 and 21%. The strength of coarse aggregate as quantified by the aggregate crushing value (ACV) was found to be the most significant aggregate property for influencing bond strength. A regression model (based on the beam-end specimens test results) was developed to extrapolate the experimental development lengths as a function of f’c1/4 and ACV. The model, while not intended for use as a design equation, predicted that the required development lengths for the RCA concrete tested as part of this research study were up to 9% longer as compared to the natural aggregate concrete. A detailed flowchart of the various inter-relationships between aggregate properties, concrete properties and reinforced concrete bond properties was compiled based on the results of this research. A comprehensive guideline for use of RCA in concrete was developed based on the findings of this research. It includes a systematic decision tree approach for assessing whether a particular RCA source can be categorized into one of three performance classes. The range of allowable applications of a concrete which incorporates the RCA source as replacement of natural coarse aggregate will depend on the RCA performance class.

A maioria dos processos de fabricação de um produto geram resíduos. Quando não se dispõem de uma tecnologia para o seu reaproveitamento, certamente este material será depositado na natureza e poderá ocasionar inúmeros problemas ambientais. Este trabalho trata da reutilização dos resíduos de concreto como agregado, para dosagens de concreto estrutural. Na maioria das vezes, os agregados provenientes de resíduos são considerados materiais de baixa qualidade, isso ocorre pelo desconhecimento de suas propriedades e da tecnologia para seu emprego. Fazendo uma pesquisa bibliográfica, teórica e experimental, o objetivo deste estudo foi de uma maneira informativa, contribuir para o entendimento do material, caracterizando algumas propriedades do agregado e do concreto reciclado. / Most of making process of a product produces residue. When there isn\'t a technology to use it again, certainly this material will be deposited in nature and it can bring about countless environmental problems. This work presents the reuse of concrete residues as aggregate, for dosage of structural concrete. Most of times, the aggregates provenient from the residues are considered low quality materials, it occurs due to the lack of knowledge of its properties and technology for its use. Doing a bibliographical, theorical and experimental research, the objective of this study was, on an informative way, to contribute for understanding of the material, characterizing some properties of aggregate and the recycled concrete.

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