Recycled Aggregate Use in Precast Concrete:Properties & Applications

Modern construction techniques have enabled the concrete structures to be constructed and put into service in a very short time. These techniques include, but not limited to, the use of high early strength cement (HESC) and application of steam curing. Further, the progressively increasing demand for sustainable development has led the researchers to study the properties of recycled aggregates (RA) generated from the demolished and waste concrete, and the concrete so produced by incorporating these aggregates termed as recycled aggregate concrete (RAC). Sufficient data is available on the early-age properties of concrete made by using ordinary Portland cement (OPC) but findings on the behavior of concrete incorporating RA and HESC at an early age, are almost none. These early-age properties of concrete are time-dependent involving hydration accompanied by volumetric changes, thus increasing susceptibility to cracking eventually affecting the long-term properties of concrete. It is, therefore, imperative to study these properties at length, to help the designers in designing the mix proportions as well the structures.