Quantification of the Hardened Cement Paste Content in Fine Recycled Concrete Aggregates by Means of Salicylic Acid Dissolution.

Adherent hardened cement paste attached to recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) generally presents a higher porosity than natural aggregates, which induces a lower porosity in the properties of RCA. The characterization of the adherent hardened cement paste content (HCPC) in the fine RCA would promote better applications of RCA in concrete, but the determination of HCPC in fine RCA is not well established. A simple method based on salicylic acid dissolution was specifically developed to quantify the HCPC in RCA, especially for RCA containing limestone aggregates. The results demonstrated that the soluble fraction in salicylic acid (SFSA) was equal to the HCPC for white cement and slightly lower for grey Portland cement, which was also confirmed by a theoretical approach using modelling the hydration of cement paste with the chemical equations and the stoichiometric ratios. The physical and mechanical properties of RCA (e.g., water absorption) were strongly correlated to the SFSA. For industrial RCA, SFSA did not give the exact value of HCPC, but it was sufficient to correlate HCPC with the other properties of RCA. The water absorption could be estimated with good accuracy for very fine RCA (laboratory-manufactured RCA or industrial RCA) by extrapolating the relationship between water absorption and HCPC, which is very important for concrete formulation.

Valorization of Fine Recycled Aggregates Contaminated with Gypsum Residues: Characterization and Evaluation of the Risk for Secondary Ettringite Formation.

Fine recycled aggregates (FRA) (0/4 mm) are up to now not valorized on a high enough level because of characteristics like an elevated water absorption, higher fines content, and the presence of contaminations. Leftover gypsum residues from the construction site can cause internal sulfate attack when FRA are incorporated into new structures. Concern about this deteriorating reaction plays an important role in the rejection of FRA. In this study, samples of FRA from different recycling centers were characterized and incorporated into mortars. They were then subjected to swelling tests in order to evaluate the development of sulfate attack. Reference materials with different amounts of sulfates were used as a comparison. Results showed a variable sulfate content in industrial FRA, depending heavily on the source of the materials. In all but one case, the total amounts surpassed the acceptable sulfate contents specified in the European standard EN 206, meaning the FRA would be rejected for reuse in concrete. Nevertheless, swelling tests demonstrated that these contamination levels did not pose a risk for sulfate attack. These results indicated that the incorporation of FRA leads to acceptable mechanical performances and that the sulfate limit could be reviewed to be less strict.

Physico-Mechanical and Hygro-Thermal Properties of Compressed Earth Blocks Stabilized with Industrial and Agro By-Product Binders.

This study investigated the engineering properties of compressed earth blocks (CEBs) stabilized with by-product binders: calcium carbide residue (CCR) and rice husk ash (RHA). The dry mixtures were prepared using the earthen material and 0-25 wt% CCR, firstly, and 20 wt% CCR partially substituted by the RHA (CCR:RHA in 20:0-12:8 ratios), secondly. The appropriate amount of water was thoroughly mixed with the dry mixtures. The moistened mixtures were manually compressed into CEBs, cured, dried, and tested. The stabilization of CEBs with CCR increased the dry compressive strength (CS) from 1.1 MPa with 0% CCR to 4.3 MPa with 10% CCR and above; decreased the bulk density (ρb:1800-1475 kg/m3) and increased the total porosity (TP:35-45%). This resulted in the improvement of the coefficient of structural efficiency (CSE: 610-3050 Pa∙m3/kg). It also improved the thermal efficiency given the decrease of the thermal conductivity (λ: 1.02-0.69 W/m∙K), thermal diffusivity (a: 6.3 × 10-7 to 4.7 × 10-7 m²/s) and thermal penetration depth (δp: 0.13-0.11 m). The RHA further improved the CS up to 7 MPa, reaching the optimum with 16:4 CCR:RHA (ρb: 1575 kg/m3 and TP: 40%). The latter reached higher CSE (4460 Pa∙m3/kg) than cement stabilized CEBs (3540 Pa∙m3/kg). It reached lower λ (0.64 w/m∙K), a (4.1 × 10-7 m²/s) and δp (0.11 m) than cement CEBs (1.01 w/m∙K, 6.8 × 10-7 m²/s, and 0.14 m). Additionally, the stabilization of CEBs with by-products improved the moisture sorption capacity. The improvement of the structural and thermal efficiency of CEBs by the stabilization with by-product binders is beneficial for load-bearing capacity and thermal performances in multi-storey buildings.

Use of Recycled Fine Aggregates from C&DW for Unbound Road Sub-Base.

Fine recycled aggregates are produced in large quantities when crushing Construction and Demolition Waste (C&DW). Even if coarse recycled aggregates are commonly used for road foundations, fine particles are often rejected as they are considered detrimental for the long-term behaviour of foundations. Physicochemical, mineralogical and mechanical characterizations (through X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, the chloride and sulphate contents, Los Angeles abrasion, micro-Deval resistance and static plate load tests) were performed on raw and treated fine recycled materials for understanding both the effects of the preparation, the compaction and the freeze-thaw cycles on the properties and the evolution of fine particles. Special attention was provided to the shape analysis of fines by means of image analyser. The results showed that the main characteristic parameters to be considered are the sieving curve and the proportion of grades. The mixes containing the highest quantity of fine particles, specifically lower than 63 µm, usually inducing a higher water demand and a higher capillary rise. This can be explained by specific surface and bluntness parameters which increase with the finer particles, inducing a higher surface roughness and, consequently, a higher potential interaction with water. Compaction did not seem to have a major effect on the production of fines (despite some breakdown occurred during compaction) and on the shape of materials (the bluntness and convexity increased slightly, while the elongation values remained similar after the compaction process). The static plate load tests showed that bearing capacity is slightly lower than the specifications for the road foundation after compaction. However, the studied material could meet the maximum criteria for secondary roads foundation construction on the wear resistance criteria. Recycled aggregates from C&DW without sufficient quality could be blended with other aggregates to enable their usage for upper-level road foundation.

Influence of Activators on Mechanical Properties of Modified Fly Ash Based Geopolymer Mortars.

The aim of this work was to study the influence of the type of activator on the formulation of modified fly ash based geopolymer mortars. Geopolymer and alkali-activated materials (AAM) were made from fly ashes derived from coal and biomass combustion in thermal power plants. Basic activators (NaOH, CaO, and Na2SiO3) were mixed with fly ashes in order to develop binding properties other than those resulting from the use of Portland cement. The results showed that the mortars with 5 mol/dm3 of NaOH and 100 g of Na2SiO3 (N5-S22) gave a greater compressive strength than other mixes. The compressive strengths of analyzed fly ash mortars with activators N5-S22 and N5-C10 (5 mol/dm3 NaOH and 10% CaO) varied from 14.3 MPa to 5.9 MPa. The better properties of alkali-activated mortars with regular fly ash were influenced by a larger amount of amorphous silica and alumina phases. Scanning electron microscopy and calorimetry analysis provided a better understanding of the observed mechanisms.

Data on thermal conductivity, water vapour permeability and water absorption of a cementitious mortar containing end-of-waste plastic aggregates.

The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled "Hygro-thermal and durability properties of a lightweight mortar made with foamed plastic waste aggregates" (Coppola et al., 2018) [1]. This article focuses the attention on thermal conductivity, water vapour permeability and water absorption of a lightweight cementitious mortar containing foamed end-of-waste plastic aggregates, produced via foam extrusion process [2]. Thermal conductivity, water vapour permeability and water absorption data are made available to allow comparison and/or extend the analysis. Experimental investigations showed that the presence of plastic aggregates decreased thermal conductivity, water vapour resistance and capillary water absorption.