Roller compacted concrete with contaminated recycled aggregates

Recycling waste building materials from construction and demolition (C&D) sites is increasingly investigated for economical and environmental reasons. Roller compacted concrete (RCC) is a special dry concrete mix; laid down and compacted like a soil, it is especially used for the construction of massive structures like dams or large horizontal surfaces like road foundation. In this paper, natural concrete slabs were cured in water, sea water, chloride solutions or sulphate solutions and then crushed to obtain virgin and contaminated (polluted) recycled aggregates. The aim of this research is the total replacement (100% coarse and fine) of natural aggregates (NA) by recycled concrete aggregates (RA) in the composition of a roller compacted concrete. The natural and recycled aggregates are characterised and compared. The mechanical properties and durability performances of concrete with contaminated RA are analysed. The experimental results showed that the polluted RA are much richer in chlorides than in sulphates and are leached if they are soaked in water. Significant differences were observed between the properties of original and new concrete and the results demonstrated the need of taking these contaminations into account.