Characterization of recycled sands and aggregates from selective separation

The use of recycling materials from demolished concrete as raw material for structural application represents an opportunity for decreasing the consumption of primary raw materials and waste generation, thus increasing global sustainability. However, this potential is nowadays not fully exploited due to standards limitations and concerns from the construction industry about the negative effect of the recycled sand in the fresh and hardened concrete performance. Thus, most of the recycled sand produced is only reused as roadbed or dumped in the landfill, whereas the recycled coarse aggregate is commonly downcycled when used for lower-grade applications.

This paper presents an overview of the quality properties of recycled materials obtained through advanced recycling technologies designed to separate high-quality sand and coarse aggregates from hardened cement paste in demolished concrete. The study focuses on evaluating the selective separation technologies implemented in various industrial pilots and examining how the properties of recycled sands and aggregates compare to those of virgin materials of good quality, and their impact on performance.

The test results indicate that there is a strong link between recycled sand quality and its effect on workability and strength development of cement-based materials. This study also identifies critical aggregate parameters based on which one can come up with realistic replacement levels of natural with recycled sands and aggregate without compromising performance in fresh and hardened state. Our intention is to provide sufficient evidence to specifiers and designers that good quality recycled sands can be used in larger amounts in structural concrete.