Technical feasibility of the use of concrete with recycled construction and demolition residues as aggregates

Abstract

Despite the improvement of construction techniques and technological innovation, construction still faces many problems. One current major issue is what will become of construction as the natural resources are getting scarce. In fact, the indiscriminate exploitation of such resources has caused serious environmental problems, as well as the generation of much construction waste in urban areas. One of the alternatives to reduce the accumulation of such waste is recycling. This paper presents results of a research study that aimed to assess the technical feasibility of using construction and demolition waste for producing concrete recycled aggregates. A comparative study of concrete using natural and recycled aggregates was made. The results indicate that recycled aggregates can improve some concrete properties, such as compressive strength and durability, measured by the concrete service life prediction. The economical feasibility was also considered, although superficially, through the price comparison between natural and recycled aggregates.