Role of Impact and Compression-Based Crushing on the Physical, Chemical, and Morphological Characteristics of Recycled Concrete Aggregates
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36, Issue 5
Abstract
The main objective of this article is to study the role of the widely adopted crushing techniques, viz., impact and compression, on the physical, chemical, and morphological properties of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA). Five fundamental parameters of RCA, viz., hydrated cement-mortar paste (HCMP) concentration, specific density and absorption, aggregate comminution, chemical composition, and surface characteristics, were studied to achieve this objective. These parameters were studied for various coarse and fine RCA size ranges, including concrete fines. The results indicated that the shattering of concrete chunks in an impact crusher could lead to the production of well-graded RCA with less HCMP; this detached HCMP from coarser fractions was found to increase the reactivity of concrete fines by around 29%. In addition, the produced RCA was found to possess a high concentration of cubical and spherical particles. Both these benefits, i.e., lower HCMP and regular shape characteristics, were found to significantly affect the strength properties of recycled aggregate concrete. However, due to cleavage failure in compression crushing, coarser RCA with higher concentrations of blade and disc-shaped particles and higher HCMP content were produced. The fracture failure associated with compression crushing led to the production of less amorphous concrete fines with higher quartz content. However, the fineness of these concrete fines was 44% higher, indicating its potential as a filler material. Interestingly, the HCMP was found to reduce the surface roughness of natural aggregates, and this might be one of the additional reasons for the poor interfacial transition zone between RCA and the new mortar matrix.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
This study was funded by Technologies for Low-Carbon and Lean Construction (TLC2); a Center of Excellence (CoE) established at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India with the fundings of the Ministry of Education (Grant No. SP22231225CPETWOTLLHOC). Both authors thank Schwing Stetter India (particularly Mr. Sudhakar and Mr. Prasaanth), for providing the necessary machinery (mobile crusher; RM 70 GO!) and manpower for on-site crushing of concrete waste. The authors are thankful to Mr. T. Archunan and Mr. Livingstone from Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) for providing the space and material and permission for conducting this study. The authors acknowledge the help and support from Prof. Ravindra Gettu and Prof. Radhakrishna G Pillai from IIT Madras, Chennai, and Er. Muralidharan Nanda Govindarajulu (Chairperson-Indian Concrete Institute, Chennai Centre) for coordinating this study. Mr. Mohan Ramanathan’s (Managing Director-Advanced Construction Technologies Pvt. Ltd) guidance on recycling activities is also acknowledged. The support received from Westart Communications India Pvt. Ltd. is also acknowledged.
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Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36 • Issue 5 • May 2024
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© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Jul 29, 2023
Accepted: Nov 3, 2023
Published online: Feb 26, 2024
Published in print: May 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Jul 26, 2024
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