Mechanical Properties of Recycled Aggregate Self-Compacting High Strength Concrete Utilizing Waste Fly Ash, Cellular Concrete and Perlite Powders

Abstract

The sustainability of engineering products has become a basic requirement instead of a mere choice because the harmony between economic activity and the earth’s ecosystem must be seriously considered. The influence of using three unprocessed waste powder materials as cement replacing materials (CRMs) and/or coarse recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) as a partial replacement of coarse natural aggregate (NA) on fresh and mechanical properties of self-compacting high-strength concrete (SCHSC) is investigated in this study. The activation index of the CRMs on the cement paste is tested as an initial step. The CRMs, namely, waste fly ash (WFA), waste perlite powder (WPP) and waste cellular concrete (WCC), are tested through 21 mixtures allocated by seven different series with three mixes of each. The mechanical properties of the 21 concrete mixes are determined after one, three and nine months of curing. Results of compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength and modulus of elasticity are presented. This work shows that the mechanical and environmental performance of SCHSC can be improved by the replacement of NA by RCA of up to 50% and the replacement of cement by WPP or WFA of up to 15%. Using WCC is not recommended to be reached 15% and using WFA is preferable to be with incorporating RCA rather than NA alone. Findings indicate that incorporating waste materials can be valuable in SCHSC, thereby potentially leading to an increasingly green environment and paving the way for advancements in sustainable construction.