Eco-friendly concrete: combining treated wastewater and recycled aggregates

Abstract

The concrete industry is a significant consumer of drinking water and natural aggregates, such as sand and gravel. However, the scarcity of water and aggregate resources and the challenges associated with the disposal of construction and demolition waste prompted the exploration of alternative materials. This study investigates the feasibility of incorporating secondary treated wastewater from UASB reactors followed by trickling filters and mixed recycled aggregates as potential alternatives. To assess the viability of these alternatives, the study considered the replacement of 100% potable water with treated wastewater, as well as varying proportions of recycled gravel (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%) and recycled sand (10, 20, 30, 40, and 100%). Physical and mechanical properties were negatively affected, but it was possible to reach compressive results over 40 MPa and splitting tensile strength over 4 MPa for almost all mixes. Regarding physical properties, the use of alternative materials caused poorer outcomes for density, water absorption, and air-void ratio. The limited magnitude of these detrimental effects indicates the potential of manufacturing concrete with the addition of combined treated wastewater and recycled aggregate as a viable strategy while enhancing reuse practices.