Durability of recycled concrete made with recycled ceramic sanitary ware aggregate. Inter-indicator relationships

Abstract

Effective industrial waste management is one of the challenges facing modern society. One possible solution, the inclusion of different proportions of waste of varying nature in concrete, calls for a thorough study of the durability of the resulting materials. Direct and indirect durability indices can be used to ensure that such concrete is able to withstand the actions to which it will be exposed throughout its service life to design safety, functionality and aesthetics and with no unexpected maintenance costs. In the present study, 20% and 25% of the natural coarse aggregate in concrete was replaced with recycled aggregate from the sanitary ware industry to explore the effect on chloride penetration and electrical resistivity, as well as the relationship among the durability indicators that predict concrete performance during its service life. The findings showed that chloride penetration was slightly deeper in recycled concretes, while no alterations were observed in the relationship among durability indicators. Electrical resistivity, in turn, was observed to rise with the use of recycled aggregate due to the intrinsic characteristics of this material. The new concretes proved to be as durable as the conventional material, performing satisfactorily throughout their service life.