Limiting the maximum fine and coarse recycled aggregates-Type A used in structural concrete

The manufacture of concrete using recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) is an alternative used to reduce the exploitation of natural resources and landfilling of construction waste. This paper discusses the suitability of producing structural concrete to be exposed to an XC1-XC4 environment employing different percentages of fine RCA (FRCA) and coarse RCA (CRCA) classified as type A. Two experimental phases were conducted in which 300 kg of cement/m3 and an effective water:cement ratio of 0.48 (Phase 1) and 0.52 (Phase 2) were employed with different percentages of the CRCA and FRCA aggregates. The types of properties determined were physical (density, absorption, accessible porous), mechanical (compressive, splitting tensile strength, modulus of elas-ticity), shrinkage, and durability (sorptivity, water penetration). After exhausting analyses of the experimental values and structural code requirements, the successful use of a simultaneous combination of up to 60 % CRCA and 30 % of FRCA was defined in Phase 1. In addition, the use of 50 % CRCA and 20 % of FRCA were defined in Phase 2.