Recycled Concrete: Mixture Variations to Improve its Durability

Abstract

Recycled concrete presents a higher porosity than traditional concrete, making it more susceptible to external agents and favoring the development of different pathologies in reinforced concrete structures. In particular, the corrosion of the reinforcement is one of the main causes of the early deterioration of these structures, with the consequent reduction of its shelf life. Different investigations, methods, and advances for the mechanical and durable improvement of these concretes are presented in this chapter. In particular, the development of variations in the execution of recycled concrete is explained in detail. This research consists of treatments on the recycled aggregate, to improve characteristics related to durability of the resulting concrete. The results of a laboratory experimental study, characterizing cracking and electromechanical conditions on concrete beams produced by corrosion of steel reinforcement are showed. Different concretes in the elaboration of the beams were used, made without recycled aggregates and obtained by replacing different percentages of natural coarse aggregate with recycled aggregate concrete, without treatment or with different treatments.