Bansal, S; Choudhary, L; Kalra, M; Dave, N and Sharma, A K (2025) Mechanical and microstructural characteristics of structural concrete containing rca treated with sodium metasilicate. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 23(3), pp. 854-870. ISSN 1726-0531
Abstract
Purpose: One of the most contested and anticipated research issues is the acceptability of using recycled aggregates instead of fresh aggregates. This study aims to look at the possibility of replacing fresh aggregates with 15%, 30%, 60% and 100% recycled aggregates. Design/methodology/approach: The research is divided into two stages. The compressive, split tensile, flexural and bond strength of the various mixes were examined in the first phase using untreated recycled concrete aggregates (RCA). The second phase entails chemically treating RCA with a 10% 0.1 M sodium metasilicate solution to evaluate differences in strength, indicating the success of the treatment performed. Microstructural experiments such as scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were also conducted to evaluate the formation of interfacial transition zone (ITZ) in treated and untreated RCA specimens. Findings: The observed findings reveal a decrease in concrete strength with increasing RCA concentration; however, when treated RCA was used, the strengths increased significantly when compared to untreated samples. The findings also include curves indicating the correlation between compressive strength and other mechanical strength parameters for an optimum mix of concrete prepared with 30% RCA replacement. Originality/value: The study through its novel approach, demonstrates the effect of pretreatment of RCA in the absence of any standardized chemical treatment methodology and presents significant potential in minimizing reliance on fresh aggregates used in concrete, lowering building costs and promoting the use of waste materials in construction.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | chemical treatment; mechanical properties; microstructural studies; recycled concrete aggregate; waste utilization |
| Index terms: | scanning electron microscopy, waste material, mechanical strength, aggregate, methodology, recycled aggregate, replacement, concrete aggregate, compressive strength, experiment, mechanical property |
| Subjects: | material properties and characteristics, data collection methods, building materials, research methods, material analysis and testing, health safety and environment, materials science, environmental science, analytical methods |
| Topics: | Engineering Principles, Health and Safety, Sustainability, Research Practice, Construction Materials |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
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