Effect of varied waste concrete ratios on the mechanical properties of polymer concrete

Polymer concrete (PC) was developed at the end of the 1950s and gained popularity in the 1970s for precast parts, flimsy floor coverings, and repairs. Due to its superior performance over traditional Portland cement concrete, which offers many benefits, including mechanical properties, quick hardening, and durability. In this article, polymeric concrete was made using a mixture of sand and epoxy, and different proportions of sand were replaced with crushed concrete waste. This study found that the ideal ratio between resin and fine aggregate was 23% resin to 77% fine aggregate in terms of the total weight of the combination to get the best dispersion of fine aggregate. Waste concrete replaced 5, 10, 15, and 20% of aggregate in PC, respectively. It was further demonstrated that increased waste concrete aggregate content in PC increased the 28-day compressive strength by 7.7, 13.44, 16.8, and 18.97%, respectively; flexural strength increased by 16.68, 25.32, 37.16, and 47.71% at 28 days' age; and direct tensile strength was higher than the reference mixture by values of 3.41, 17.21, 23.54, and 30.38% at 28 days age. The findings recommended using recycled fine aggregate on PC and suggested a 20% replacement ratio as an optimum percentage.