Zhao 2017
Zhao 2017
Zhao 2017
http://dx.doi.org/10.1680/jcoma.17.00015
Improving the properties of recycled Paper 1700015
Received 02/03/2017 Accepted 22/05/2017
concrete aggregates by accelerated
Keywords: concrete technology & manufacture/
carbonation recycling & reuse of materials/sustainability
Zhao, Remond, Damidot, Courard and Michel
Large amounts of construction and demolition wastes, especially concrete wastes, are generated annually. Until
now, only a small fraction of concrete wastes has been reused as recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) in the
manufacture of mortar and concrete. In order to optimise the use of RCA for new concrete, it is important to improve
the properties of RCA. RCA are mainly composed of an intimate mix of natural aggregates and adherent hardened
cement paste, which has a much larger porosity than natural aggregates. The influence of accelerated carbonation
on the properties of RCA was studied in this work. Original concrete was manufactured and crushed by a jaw crusher
in the laboratory. The different fractions of laboratory-produced RCA were stored in an accelerated carbonation
room. The mass loss, density, porosity and water absorption of the RCA were tested before and after carbonation.
Industrial RCA were also studied for comparison with the laboratory-produced RCA. The results clearly showed that,
after accelerated carbonation, the density of the RCA increased due to the transformation of portlandite into calcite.
The water absorption and porosity of the RCA decreased after carbonation.
1. Introduction much larger porosity than natural aggregates and therefore the
Due to the population growth and the rapid development of content and physicochemical properties of hardened cement
the construction industry, large amounts of construction and paste have a large influence on the properties of RCA (Zhao
demolition wastes are generated all over the world every year, et al., 2013, 2015).
and these quantities are expected to increase in the future
(Rao et al., 2007; Sagoe-Crentsil et al., 2001). It is very impor- Carbonation is a procedure (Reaction I) by which carbon
tant to recycle these wastes in order to protect the environ- dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere penetrates and diffuses through
ment. A minimum of 70% (by weight) of non-hazardous the pore water and reacts with calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2),
construction and demolition wastes should be prepared for producing calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and water (Johannesson
reuse or recycled by 2020 according to the waste framework and Utgenannt, 2001; López-Arce et al., 2011). In addition,
directive (2008/98/EC) (EU Commission, 2008). Large quan- hydrated calcium silicate (C–S–H) can also react with carbon
tities of natural aggregates are needed for the construction dioxide according to Reaction II (Chang and Chen, 2006).
industry. Until now, only small percentages of concrete wastes
have been reused as recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) in the I: CaðOHÞ2 þ CO2 ! CaCO3 þ H2 O
manufacture of mortar and concrete (Courard et al., 2010; De
Juan and Gutiérrez, 2009; Hansen, 1986; McNeil and Kang,
2013; Poon et al., 2002; Zhao et al., 2015). In order to opti-
II: C--S--H þ CO2 ! CaCO3 þ SiO2 :nH2 O
mise the use of RCA for new concrete, it is important to
improve their properties (e.g. water absorption and porosity).
RCA comprise an intimate mix of natural aggregates and har- Ngala and Page (1997) investigated the effect of carbonation on
dened cement paste. The properties of RCA depend on many the pore structure and diffusional properties of hydrated cement
factors such as the original concrete, contaminants, particle pastes. Their results showed that the total porosity for all the
size, crushing method for production, storage conditions and studied pastes reduced after carbonation (Ngala and Page,
so on (Etxeberria et al., 2007; Evangelista and de Brito, 2007; 1997). However, few studies have been dedicated to the influence
Tam et al., 2008). Hardened cement paste generally presents a of carbonation on RCA. Apart from the potential benefit on
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Construction Materials Improving the properties of recycled
concrete aggregates by accelerated
carbonation
Zhao, Remond, Damidot, Courard and Michel
The possibility of improving the properties of RCA (water absor- Sodium chloride
ption and porosity) by accelerated carbonation was studied. Samples solution
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Construction Materials Improving the properties of recycled
concrete aggregates by accelerated
carbonation
Zhao, Remond, Damidot, Courard and Michel
2.2.2 Density
For each of the RCA and each granular class, representative
samples were pre-dried in an oven at a temperature of 105°C
3
and then density was measured using a helium pycnometer
(Micromeritics AccuPyc 1330).
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Construction Materials Improving the properties of recycled
concrete aggregates by accelerated
carbonation
Zhao, Remond, Damidot, Courard and Michel
Current × 10–9: A
DTG: %/min
85
TGA: %
–0·4
Change in mass: –32·07% 1·0
80
Carbon dioxide
–0·6
75
Water
0·5
Carbon
70 monoxide
–0·8
65 0
Figure 4. TGA with gas analysis: RCAl_nc 1·25/2·5 mm. A full-colour version of this figure can be found on the ICE Virtual Library
(www.icevirtuallibrary.com)
DTG: %/min
85 1·0
TGA: %
Figure 5. TGA with gas analysis: RCAl_wc 1·25/2·5 mm. A full-colour version of this figure can be found on the ICE Virtual Library
(www.icevirtuallibrary.com)
cement paste; this thus shows that the RCAi were partly fraction of RCA had a larger hardened cement paste content
carbonated. and a higher porosity compared with the CRCA. After carbo-
nation, ML400–500 decreased, which is due to the transform-
Table 2 shows the values of mass loss between 105 and 400°C ation of portlandite onto calcite, leading to a smaller loss of
(ML105–400), between 400 and 500°C (ML400–500), between 500 water. ML400–500 corresponds partly to the water bounded by
and 600°C (ML500–600), between 600 and 700°C (ML600–700) portlandite (MLH2 O-400500 ) and some decarbonation of amor-
and between 700 and 1095°C (ML700–1095) based on TGA with phous calcite (MLCO2 -400500 ). However, at the same time,
gas analysis. For all the studied RCA, ML105–400, ML400–500, ML500–600 and ML600–700 increased after carbonation due to a
ML500–600 and ML600–700 increased as the particle size of the significant loss of carbon dioxide between 500 and 700°C. This
RCA decreased. ML700–1095 corresponds to the content of crys- suggests that the formation of amorphous carbonation pro-
tallised calcite in the sample. Therefore, the finer fraction of ducts occurred during the accelerated carbonation tests (as
RCA contained a higher quantity of portlandite and the finer confirmed by Thiery et al. (2007) and Villain et al. (2007)).
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Construction Materials Improving the properties of recycled
concrete aggregates by accelerated
carbonation
Zhao, Remond, Damidot, Courard and Michel
Current × 10–10: A
DTG: %/min
5·00 –0·3
90
TGA: %
Figure 6. TGA with gas analysis: RCAi 1·25/2·5 mm. A full-colour version of this figure can be found on the ICE Virtual Library
(www.icevirtuallibrary.com)
Table 2. Mass loss based on TGA with gas analysis for all studied RCA
ML105–400 ML400–500 ML500–600 ML600–700 ML700–1095
Table 3. MLH2 O-400500 and MLCO2 -400500 based on TGA with gas analysis
SH2 O SCO2 ML400–500 MLH2 O-400 –500 MLCO2 -400 –500
From the curves for gas analysis by MS, the surface areas of carbonation degree changed. For RCAl_nc, ML400–500
water (SH2 O ) and carbon dioxide (SCO2 ) can be estimated, then was entirely from the water bounded by portlandite. For
the mass ratio of water can be calculated. Thus MLH2 O-400 –500 RCAl_wc, MLCO2 -400500 was 92% of ML400–500. For RCAi,
can be obtained from MLCO2 -400500 was 26%. As a consequence, the portlandite
content of industrial RCA was between that of the non-
18 S H2 O carbonated RCA and well-carbonated RCA.
4: MLH2 O-400500 ¼ ML400500
44 S CO2 þ 18 S H2 O
3.2 Density
Table 3 shows the calculated results of MLH2 O-400500 and Figure 7 shows the variation in density measured by means of
MLCO2 -400500 for the 0/0·63 mm fraction. As can be seen, the a helium pycnometer as a function of granular class. It shows
mass ratio of carbon dioxide in ML400–500 changed as the that the density of RCA increased as the average particle size
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Construction Materials Improving the properties of recycled
concrete aggregates by accelerated
carbonation
Zhao, Remond, Damidot, Courard and Michel
2·62 20
2·60 18
16
2·58 RCAl_nc RCAl_wc
Water absorption: %
14
2·56
Density: g/cm3
12
2·54 10
2·52 8
2·50 RCAl_nc 6
RCAi 4
2·48
RCAl_wc
2
2·46 Linear (RCAl_nc)
Linear (RCAl_wc) 0
2·44 0/0·63 0·63/1·25 1·25/2·5 2·5/5
0 1 2 3 4 Fraction of RCA: mm
Average size: mm
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Construction Materials Improving the properties of recycled
concrete aggregates by accelerated
carbonation
Zhao, Remond, Damidot, Courard and Michel
Therefore, carbon dioxide could be used to improve the prop- humidity on the carbonation of calcium hydroxide nanoparticles
erties of RCA. The influence of treated RCA on the properties and the formation of calcium carbonate polymorphs. Powder
Technology 205(1): 263–269.
of mortar and concrete will be studied in the next step (the
McNeil K and Kang THK (2013) Recycled concrete aggregates: a review.
properties of mortar and concrete should be improved as the International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials 7(1):
quality of treated RCA is improved). The possibility of using 61–69.
carbon dioxide to improve the properties of RCA in industrial- Ngala V and Page C (1997) Effects of carbonation on pore structure
scale applications should also be considered exhaustively. and diffusional properties of hydrated cement pastes. Cement and
Concrete Research 27(7): 995–1007.
Poon CS, Kou SC and Lam L (2002) Use of recycled aggregates in
Acknowledgements molded concrete bricks and blocks. Construction and Building
The authors thank Lafarge for the supply of cement, Holcim Materials 16(5): 281–289.
Rao A, Jha KN and Misra S (2007) Use of aggregates from recycled
for the supply of natural aggregates and Colas for the supply of
construction and demolition waste in concrete. Resources,
RCA. They also thank the China Scholarship Council for finan- Conservation and Recycling 50(1): 71–81.
cial support. Finally, they thank the Government of Wallonia Sagoe-Crentsil KK, Brown T and Taylor AH (2001) Performance of
DGO6 for financial support through the project Beware concrete made with commercially produced coarse recycled
Academia CONRePaD (Design of concrete with recycled con- concrete aggregate. Cement and Concrete Research 31(5): 707–712.
Tam VWY, Wang K and Tam CM (2008) Assessing relationships among
crete aggregates by means of packing density method).
properties of demolished concrete, recycled aggregate and recycled
aggregate concrete using regression analysis. Journal of Hazardous
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How can you contribute?
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