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Development and Challenges in Recycled Materials in Concrete

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction and Building Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2024) | Viewed by 3231

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
Interests: artificial intelligence; composite material; tunneling; rock mechanics

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Guest Editor
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ningbo University, No. 818 Fenghua Road, Ningbo 315211, China
Interests: structure durability; ultra-high and high performance cementitious materials; recycled cementitious materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In an era marked by increasing environmental challenges such as climate change, land degradation, and water scarcity and quality, the need for innovative and comprehensive sustainable practices is urgent in the concrete industry. From the life-cycle perspective, it is imperative to utilize recycled materials in concrete to effectively mitigate waste generation along with the growing construction activities. Over the past few decades, the valorization of recycled materials into sustainable construction developed rapidly. The significance of the utilization, treatment, and upcycling of various recycled materials has been acknowledged around the world.

We invite researchers, scholars, and engineers to delve into the development of upcycling waste materials into concrete. We face the challenges and encourage contributions that explore innovative means of turning waste into value-added construction materials, assess the economic feasibility of sustainable practices, and analyze the efficacy of waste reduction solutions. By engaging in this discussion, we endeavor to facilitate viable solutions that bridge the gap between waste quality and concrete performance. This Special Issue provides a platform for collaborative exploration and showcases pioneering work that aligns with the principal theme of "Development and Challenges of Recycled Materials in Concrete”.

Dr. Ehsan Sadrossadat
Prof. Dr. Mingfang Ba
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • concrete materials
  • recycling concrete
  • waste recycling
  • cement-based materials
  • green materials for buildings and construction

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 7818 KiB  
Article
Investigation of the Time-Dependent Deformation of Recycled Aggregate Concrete in a Water Environment
by Xingzong Liu, Bin Gong, Yufang Fu, Guanghui Jiang and Jintao Wang
Materials 2024, 17(18), 4588; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17184588 - 19 Sep 2024
Viewed by 816
Abstract
The water environment greatly affects the creep deformation of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC). Hence, a humidity–stress–damage coupling numerical model was used for investigating the time-dependent deformation of RAC in the water environment in this study. Firstly, uniaxial compression and water absorption tests were [...] Read more.
The water environment greatly affects the creep deformation of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC). Hence, a humidity–stress–damage coupling numerical model was used for investigating the time-dependent deformation of RAC in the water environment in this study. Firstly, uniaxial compression and water absorption tests were performed to determine the calculation parameters of the creep numerical simulation of RAC in a water environment. Experimental results indicate that the elastic modulus and compressive strength drop as the water content increases. Then, the time-dependent deformation of RAC in a water environment was studied using a numerical simulation test of compressive creep when multiple stress levels were applied, and the critical stress for accelerated creep and the long-term strength of RAC were obtained. Finally, the influence of confining pressures on the long-term deformation of RAC in a water environment was discussed. When there is no confining pressure, the long-term strength of RAC is 23.53 MPa. However, when a confining pressure of 3.921 MPa is loaded onto RAC, the long-term strength of RAC is 47.052 MPa, which increases by 100%. Increasing confining pressures has an obvious effect on ensuring the long-term stable application of RAC in a water environment. Compared with the creep test, the method adopted in this study saves time and money and provides the theoretical basis for evaluating the time-dependent deformation of RAC in a water environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Challenges in Recycled Materials in Concrete)
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21 pages, 2918 KiB  
Article
Environmental and Economic Viability of Using Concrete Block Wastes from a Concrete Production Plant as Recycled Coarse Aggregates
by Jorge Los Santos-Ortega, Esteban Fraile-García and Javier Ferreiro-Cabello
Materials 2024, 17(7), 1560; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17071560 - 28 Mar 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1857
Abstract
The construction sector must incorporate the circular economy to improve sustainability and efficiency. The use of recycled aggregates (RAs) as a substitute for natural aggregates (NAs) is currently being investigated and is expected to yield considerable benefits in the future. The objective of [...] Read more.
The construction sector must incorporate the circular economy to improve sustainability and efficiency. The use of recycled aggregates (RAs) as a substitute for natural aggregates (NAs) is currently being investigated and is expected to yield considerable benefits in the future. The objective of this research is to evaluate the environmental and economic benefits of using recycled coarse aggregates (RCAs) in different 1 m3 samples of concrete, substituting the natural coarse aggregate (NCAs) with RCAs in different percentages. RCAs generally come from the treatment of construction and demolition wastes (CDWs). However, in this research, the RCAs are the concrete block wastes (CBWs) generated by a concrete production plant. Among the most notable results is that compared to concrete with no RCAs, using alternatives in which RCAs have replaced 50% of the NCAs leads to an average decrease in impact category statistics of −3.30%. In contrast to the existing literature on the subject, the process of producing RCAs generated efficiency improvements in categories such as abiotic depletion of fossil fuels (−58.72%) and global warming potential (−85.13%). This is because the transport process, a key factor in determining the viability of using RAs instead of NAs, was eliminated. In economic terms, there is a slight decrease in the financial cost of producing 1 m3 of concrete as the quantity of RCAs increases. The maximum decrease was 0.23€/m3 in the samples studied. Combining both the environmental and economic aspects resulted in a reduction factor of 0.420 g of CO2/€cent, which means fewer CO2 emissions per unit cost when using RCAs. In conclusion, these results are intended to further knowledge in the field of using RAs instead of NAs in order to help the sector achieve sustainability and find an alternative use for a particular type of business waste. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Challenges in Recycled Materials in Concrete)
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