EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF RECYCLED AGGREGATE IN CONCRETE

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE NO. TABLE NAME PAGE NO.

4.1: PROPERTIES OF CEMENT 14

4.2: CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF CEMENT 14

4.3: PROPERTIES OF AGGREGATE 16

4.4: COMPARISON BETWEEN THE PROPERTIES OF VIRGIN 20

AGGREGATES AND RCA

4.5: THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF FRESH CONCRETE 23

CONTAINING RCA

4.6: GIVES THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF HARDENED 25

CONCRETE CONTAINING RCA

6.1: MATERIALS USED FOR SLUMP TEST 33

6.2: MATERIALS USED FOR OTHER TESTS 34

6.3: CONCRETE USED FOR DIFFERENT WORKABILITY OF SLUMP 37

6.4: SEIVE ANALYSIS OF NCA 42

6.5: SEIVE ANALYSIS OF NFA 43

6.6: SEIVE ANALYSIS OF RCA 43

6.7: SLUMP TEST RESULTS 44

6.8: COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH TEST RESULTS 45

6.9: HAMMER REBOUND TEST RESULTS 47

6.10: ULTRASONIC PULSE VELOCITY TEST RESULTS 49

FIGURE NO. FIGURE NAME PAGE NO.

4.1: CEMENT 15

4.2: AGGREGATE 17

5.1: MIXING PROCEDURE 29

6.1: CRUSHING RCA 33

6.2: OBTAINING RCA 33

6.3: SLUMP TEST 35

6.4: TYPES OF SLUMP 36

6.5: MAKING CONCRETE CUBES 39

6.6: CUBES MADE 39

6.7: CURING OF CUBES 40

6.8: COMPRESSION STRENGTH TEST OF CUBES 41

CHART NO. CHART NAME PAGE NO.

6.1: SEIVE ANALYSIS OF NCA & RCA 44

6.2: COMPARISON OF COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH AT 7 & 28 DAYS 46

6.3: HAMMER REBOUND TEST & CTM TEST COMPARISON 48

6.4: CHART SHOWING PULSE VELOCIY AND RCA PERCENTAGE 50

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Items Page No.

DECLARATION i
CERTIFICATE ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iii
ABSTRACT iv
LIST OF TABLE v
LIST OF FIGURES vi
LIST OF CHARTS vii
CONTENTS viii
CHAPTER-1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 OVERVIEW 1
1.2 BACKGROUND/PROBLEM STATEMENT 2
1.3 PROJECT AIM 2
1.4 SCOPE 2
1.5 OBJECTIVE 3
CHAPTER-2 LITERATURE REVIEW 4
CHAPTER-3 CONCRETE & RECYCLED AGGREGATE 7
3.1: PROPERTIES 7
3.2: RECYCLED AGGREGATE 8
CHAPTER-4 MATERIALS REQUIRED 11
4.1: PORTLAND POZZOLANA CEMENT 11
4.2: AGGREAGTE 15
4.3: WATER 17
4.4: RECYCLDED AGGREGATE 19
4.5: GENERAL PROPERTIES OF RCA AND NCA 20
4.6: PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF FRESH CONCRETE CONTAINING RCA 23
4.7: PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF HARDENED CONCRETE CONTAINING 25
RCA
CHAPTER-5 METHODOLOGY 27
5.1: MIX DESIGN OF RECYCLED AGGREGATE CONCRETE (RCA) 27
5.2: MIXING AND MOULDING OF CONCRETE (MIXES) 27
5.3: WORKABILITY TESTS OF FRESH CONCRETE AND SLUMP TEST 30
CHAPTER-6 EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION 32
6.1: MATERIALS 32
6.2: CONCRETE SLUMP TEST AS PER IS: 456-2000 34
6.3: TYPES OF CONCRETE SLUMP 36
6.4: APPLICATION OF SLUMP TEST’ 37
6.5: COMPRESSIVE TEST OF CONCRETE AS PER IS: 456-2000 37
6.6: CASTING, CURING, AND TESTING WORK 41
6.7: RESULTS & DISCUSSION 42
CONCLUSION 51
REFERENCES 52
 CHAPTER-1 INTRODUCTION
The use of recycled materials in the construction sector has been occurring over the past
years with varying degree of success. With an increasing scarcity of natural resources, there
is an increasing demand and interest in aggregate from non-traditional sources such as from
industrial by-products and recycled construction and demolition wastes. Recycled aggregate
encompass reused construction products and pavement materials, all of which were once
considered waste and dumped landfill. Replaced and reconstructed old roads and buildings
have become major sources of “recyclable materials”. In some applications, recycled
aggregate can compete with natural aggregate on price and quality. The increasing limitations
imposed on the use of landfills, as well as the higher costs imposed on landfill use, are
making the recycling of aggregate economically viable.

1.1 OVERVIEW
Aggregate constitutes the largest proportion of concrete by volume, and its use is important
because it improves both the volume stability and durability of the resulting concrete.
Crushed rock and river gravel have conventionally been used as natural coarse aggregate
(NCA) in natural aggregate concrete (NAC). Recycled coarse aggregates (RCA) are produced
from demolition and crushing of concrete rubble from deteriorated concrete structures such as
buildings, pavements, and bridges. Reinforcing steel bars and other embedded items, if any,
are sorted out and removed from the debris. Construction and demolition waste (C&DW),
such as the illustrations shown in Figures 1(a) and 1(b), consists mostly of inert and non-
biodegradable materials which include, but are not limited to, concrete, mortar, wood, metal,
plastic, scrap glass, and bricks. Among the materials found in C&DW, concrete represents a
significant proportion of the total weight waste. It may be necessary to demolish a concrete
structure if the useful life of the structure has been exceeded. Due to development of towns
and cities, existing structures are often demolished in order to leave open spaces at the sites
of the demolished structures, or to construct new infrastructure such as electricity
transmission lines, highways, etc. Rubble from demolished structures are regarded as waste
materials, but the need to protect the environment means that effective waste management
techniques should be adopted. Many of the non-biodegradable construction waste materials
will remain in the environment for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years, and these materials
contribute to environmental problems

1.2 BACKGROUND/PROBLEM STATEMENT

Aggregate is one of the most vitally important materials in use for concrete production as it
profoundly influences concrete properties and performance. Regarding aggregate usage in
concrete, a conservative estimate is that at least 4.5 billion tons of concrete aggregates per
year are consumed worldwide. This figure is assumed to represent total aggregate production,
including usage in concrete and road base. Aggregate usage in concrete constitutes perhaps
between 25 and 35 percent of the total aggregate production. The sheer bulk of global
aggregate usage is staggering. The above inevitably impacts on the environment due to the
great huge quantity of general and construction waste materials or from building demolition
sites generated in developed countries. The research conducted for the Industry Commission
Report indicated that about 3 million tons of waste aggregate has been created in the
Australia alone. The disposal of all this waste has become a harsh social and environmental
problem. This is a large burden on the world’s natural resources and an increasingly
expensive problem for solid waste management. Therefore, a possible alternative aggregate
method to overcome this issue may be using recycled concrete aggregates instead of natural
aggregate in construction tasks. This solution not only can help to conserve and extend
natural resources but also can reduce the cost of waste treatment and the demand on landfill
sites for disposing the waste.

1.3 PROJECT AIM

The aim of this project is to determine the characteristic strength and durability properties of
100% recycled aggregate used in structural concrete, compared with natural aggregate, as
well as to find the most economical solution and quality of the recycled concrete aggregate to
reduce the environmental impact.

1.4 SCOPE
 Recycling concrete helps reduce the construction waste & extend the life of
landfills as well as saving builders disposal or tipping fees, also reducing
transportation costs because concrete can often be recycled in areas near the
demolition or construction site.
 Can be used for constructing multiple parts of the project i.e gutter, pavements
etc.
 Positive effect on environment due to less use of new natural raw material.
Also energy conservation can be applied in making.
 Suitable for low grade concrete mix designs, also for cheaper production cost.

1.5 OBJECTIVE
 To compare the compressive strength of Recycled Coarse Aggregate for
Constructional Concrete with the Conventional concrete.
 To know its applications in construction industry.
 To reduce the pressure on naturally available materials by replacing it with
recycled aggregate.
 To compare the physical characteristics of natural aggregate with recycled
aggregate.
 To study the behavior of fresh and hardened concrete reinforced with recycled
coarse aggregate.
 CHAPTER-2 LITERATURE REVIEW
A. A study has been conducted by M C Limbachiya, A Koulouris, J J Roberts and A N
Fried in Kingston University, UK on “Performance of Recycled Aggregate Concrete”. The
effects of up to 100% coarse recycled concrete aggregate on a range of fresh, engineering and
durability properties have been established and assessed its suitability for use in a series of
designated applications. Compressive strength tests on standard 100mm concrete cubes were
carried out at ages up to one year after initial curing in water at 20° C at 28 days. Overall, the
results show that up to 30% coarse RCA has no effect on concrete strength, but thereafter a
gradual reduction with increasing RCA content occurs.

B. The research has been conducted by Song Gu et al. on “Properties of Recycled Aggregate
Concrete” concluded that, Because of old mortars adhered on the surface of the aggregate the
water absorption rate of recycled aggregate is far more than natural aggregates,the slump and
strength will decrease while the replacement rate of RCA increased and Fly ash can enhance
the workability of recycled concrete effectively. While the replacement rate of FA to cement
is no more than 30%, the strength of concrete will not decrease obviously.

C. R. Sri Ravindrajah, Y. H. Loo, C. T. Tam conducted an experiment on “Strength

evaluation of recycled-aggregate concrete by in-situ tests”. The compressive strength of
concrete was determined at various ages up to 90 days using 100mm cubes. Based on the
results, they concluded that for a given watercement ratio, the recycled-aggregate concrete
showed a lower strength than that for the natural aggregate concrete. The results also showed
that the relationship between the strength and water-cement ratio at both ages follows a
similar trend for the recycled-aggregate concrete as well as the natural aggregate concrete.

D. Yong P.C and Teo, D.C.L conducted a research on “Utilisation of Recycled Aggregate as
Coarse Aggregate in Concrete”. Recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) from site-tested
concrete specimens were used. The main aim of this research project is to utilise recycled
concrete as coarse aggregate for the production of concrete. It is essential to know whether
the replacement of RCA in concrete is inappropriate or acceptable. Three types of aggregates
are used in this project which includes natural coarse aggregate, natural fine aggregate and
RCA. Concrete is then produced with replacement of 0%, 50% and 100% of RCA as well as
100% replacement of saturated surface dry (SSD) RCA with the same mix proportion. The
compressive strength of concrete with 100% replacement of RCA has the highest 7-day and
28- day strength which reaches 40.24 MPa and 57.99 MPa respectively. The compressive
strength of recycled concrete with 50% replacement of RCA is in close proximity with that of
the control concrete The split tensile strength of recycled concrete with replacement of 100%
RCA and 100% SSD RCA are both higher than split tensile strength of control concrete.
From the results, the 3-day flexural strength of control concrete is lowest compared to 3-day
flexural strength of RAC. The 28-day flexural strength of control concrete is highest
compared to 28-day flexural strength of RAC.

E. A study on “local construction and demolition waste used as a Recycled Concrete

Aggregate (RCA) in the production of new concrete” was investigated by Madan Mohan
Reddy.K, Bhavani.R and Ajitha. B. The performance of compressive strength produced by
Recycled Aggregate Concrete (RAC) and results are compared with the Natural Coarse
Aggregate Concrete (NAC). The studies were conducted with M20 mix with the selected w/c
ratio of 0.5 and the development of compressive strength of the RAC and NAC at the age of
7 & 28 days were studied. The result shows the compressive strength of RAC is on average
87% of the NAC and the Slump of RAC is low and that can be improved by using Saturated
Surface Dry (SSD) of RCA. Based on the obtained results they derived the conclusion that
concrete can be successfully produced using RCA that have been produced from demolition
and construction waste. Concrete produced by RCA does not perform well as concretes
produced by NCA in terms of strength. However, the concrete still has a strength that would
make it suitable for some applications.

F. Production of recycled aggregates: Concrete from reinforced concrete structures or

precast concrete units which can be used as raw material for production of recycled
aggregates is termed as Original Concrete. Concrete in structures to be demolished may have
various types of finishes, cladding materials, lumber, dirt, steel and hardware‟s attached to
them. It is necessary to remove all such foreign matter associated with concrete. This will
ensure concrete fairly free from contamination due to impurities.

Dierkes J.H. has explained clearly how removal of steel from the reinforced concrete rubble
can be done. Two large mobile diesel hammers were used for crushing and rubber tired
hydraulic excavator with a large armed hard steel picker foot was used for separating
concrete from reinforcement. The concrete is then fed into the primary Jaw crusher. A large
self cleaning electromagnet placed over the belt coming from primary crusher, collects any
leftover reinforcement in the concrete. The usual procedures for producing recycled
aggregates are reported by various authors such as Hansen and Narud, Ravindrarajah and
Tom, Hansen and Boegh.

G. Properties of recycled aggregates: Before using R.A. for producing concrete, it is

necessary to know the various properties of it. Number of research workers has made an
attempt to study the various properties of recycled aggregates.

i. Grading: Old concrete debris is crushed to obtain R.C.A of suitable sizes with the
help of crushers. By the slight adjustment of the openings of the crushers, we can
obtain a well graded R.C.A. It was observed by Ravindrarajah and Tam that the
grading of the crusher product was not significantly affected by the grades of the
original concrete. The amounts of the fine material (passing 5mm B.S. Sieve)
generated by high, medium and low grades of original concrete are 23.1, 25.7 and
26.5% by weights respectively. In general lower the grade of original concretes, the
higher was the percentage of fine materials. This is partly due to the presence of a
higher proportion of F.A in lower grades of concrete.

ii. Attached mortar and cement paste: When old concrete is crushed, a certain amount
of mortar from the original concrete remains attached to stone particles in R.A.
Hansen and Narud reported the percentage volume of mortar which remains attached
to gravel in R.C.A. They found the volume percent of mortar attached to natural
gravel particles to be between 25% and 35% for 16-32 mm coarse recycled
aggregates, around 40% for 8-16 mm coarse recycled aggregates and around 60% for
4-8 mm coarse recycled aggregates [8]. Ravimdrarajah and Tom reported that, in
general the Recycled Aggregates contain an average of about 50% by volume of
mortar from the original concrete.

iii. Density: Hansen and Narud found densities of coarse recycled aggregates in
saturated surface dry condition ranging from 2,340 kg/m3 (for 4-8 mm material) to
2,490 kg/m3 (for 16-32 mm material), independent of the quality of original concrete.
Corresponding s.s.d. densities of original coarse aggregates ranged from 2,500 to
2,610 kg/m3. Narud found an s.s.d, density of 2,279 kg/m3 for fine recycled
aggregates produced from one original concrete which was made with a water cement
ratio of 0.70.

iv. Water absorption: Hansen and Narud found water absorptions of coarse recycled
aggregates ranging from 8.7% for 4-8 mm material to 3.7% for 16-32 mm material,
regardless of the quality of original concrete. Corresponding water absorptions of
original aggregates ranged from 3.7 to 0.8%.Narud found water absorption of 9.8%
for a fine recycled aggregate produced from an original concrete with a water-cement
ratio of 0.70. According to Hansen and Narud (1983), recycled concretes have an
approximately 5 percent higher free water requirement, compared to otherwise
identical fresh concretes made with natural gravel.
 CHAPTER 3

CONCRETE & RECYCLED AGGREGATE

3.1 PRORERTIES-
3.1.1 CHARACTERISTIC STRENGTH OF CONCRETE- It is defined as the value of
the strength below which not more than 5% of the test results are expected to fail.

3.1.2 CHARACTERISTIC STRENGTH OF CONCRETE IN FLEXURAL- The

characteristic strength of concrete in flexural member is taken as 0.67 times the strength of
concrete cube.

3.1.3 TENSILE STRENGTH OF CONCRETE- The estimate of flexural tensile strength or

the modulus of ruptureor the cracking strength of concrete from cube compressive strength is
obtained by the relations- fcr= 0.7 fck N/mm2

3.1.4 UNIT WEIGHT OF CONCRETE- The unit weight of concrete depends on

percentage of reinforcement, type of aggregate, amount of voids and varies from 23 to
26KN/m2. The unit weight of plain and reinforced concrete as specified by IS: 456 are 24
and 25KN/m3 respectively.

3.1.5 POISON RATIO- Poisson's ratio varies between 0.1 for high strength concrete and 0.2
for weak mixes. It is normally taken as 0.15 for strength design and 0.2 for serviceability
criteria.

3.1.6 SHRINKAGE OF CONCRETE- The property of diminishing in volume during the

process of drying and hardening is termed Shrinkage. It depends mainly on the duration of
exposure. If this strain is prevented, it produces tensile stress in the concrete and hence
concrete develops cracks.

3.1.7 CREEP IN CONCRETE- Creep is defined as the plastic deformation under sustain
load. Creep strain depends primarily on the duration of sustained loading. According to the
code, the value of the ultimate creep coefficient is taken as 1.6 at 28 days of loading.

3.2 RECYCLED AGGREGATE

3.2.1 OVERVIEW
Recycled aggregate are aggregate obtained by the processing of withered material which
were earlier used in construction. Use of recycled aggregate from roads and building is
growing as supplement to natural aggregate in construction due to dwindling natural
sources .Recycled aggregate currently account for less than 1% of the total demand for
construction aggregate, but this amount is continuously accelerating.

3.2.2 TYPES OF RECYCLED AGGREGATE

Based on their source of production, Recycled Aggregate can be categorised into following
types:

1. Recycled Concrete Aggregate (RCA): RCA are aggregate generated from

construction and demolition (C&D) waste concrete such as rehabilitation of bridges,
buildings, sidewalks and other structures. According to „Cement Concrete &
Aggregate, Australia‟[2] - Coarse recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) is produced by
crushing sound, clean demolition waste of at least 95% by weight of concrete, and
having a total contaminant level typically lower than 1% of the bulk mass‟.
Dwindling natural sources, senescent infrastructure, decreasing landfill and
environmental apprehensions linked with C&D waste work together to increase
concrete recycling .There is high potential of RCA in wide range of engineering
applications. In this article, our main focus is on RCA.
2. Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP): It is the term given to removed and reprocessed
pavement material containing asphalt and aggregate. These materials are removed
from demolished roads, parking lots and runways. When properly crushed and
screened, RAP consists of high quality well graded aggregate coated by asphalt. The
majority of RAP produced is recycled and used.RAP is almost always returned back
into the roadway structure in some form usually incorporated into asphalt by means of
hot or cold recycling but are also used as aggregate in base or sub-base construction.
In US more than 100 million tonnes of dilapidated asphalt pavement are recuperated
every year. About 80 percent of the recovered material is recycled and remaining is
deposited into landfills. Two-thirds of the recycled material is used as aggregate for
road base. The remaining portion is reused as aggregate for new asphalt hot mixes.
3. Reclaimed Aggregate: This is the aggregate extracted from the surplus fresh
concrete that has been returned to batching plant, by separating it from mortar by
washing it with water. Aggregate are screened and water may be reclaimed. Large
volume of water is required for concrete washing and its uncontrolled disposal can
lead to problems of environmental impacts. The handling and disposal of the wash
water contaminated with cement and fine sand presents a challenge to the concrete
producer. So all RMC plants have some type of wash-water recycling system to
minimise the need for resource consents to dispose of water.

3.2.3 ADVANTAGES OF RECYCLED AGGREGATE

Following are the advantages associated with use of recycled aggregate:

 Resources Preservation: As the infrastructure is expanding due to mushrooming

population, the demand for aggregate is also rising as a result so natural sources are
continuously declining day by day. Recycling waste concrete into usable aggregate
reduces the demand for virgin aggregate from pits and quarries and yields
environmental benefits by preserving dwindling natural resources.
 Reduction in Costs and Energy Consumption: Recycling conserves the use of natural
aggregate and associated environmental costs of exploitation and transportation.
Transportation and delivery at all stages of concrete production is the second largest
 source of pollution after carbon emissions from cement manufacturing kilns. Any
saving in transport by using natural aggregate reduces both the cost and
environmental burden. The use of mobile crushing plants strategically located can
reduce the demolition concrete and recycled aggregate cartage distance and can be
justified on large projects.
 Land Preservation: Recycling concrete squander preserves the use of landfill for
materials which cannot be recycled. Earth available for landfill is almost limited but
C&D waste is increasing. In such conditions recycling proved to be a best substitute
for land filling. In some countries, levy was introduced in past years on landfill and
this will be more in future as landfill sites are becoming scarcer. Levies on landfill
dumping make aggregate recycling an ideal option.
 Enhanced CO2 Absorption: Approximately half of the CO2 emission from cement
production is emitted by the calcination of limestone. During carbonation, hardened
concrete absorbs the same amount of CO2 and it mainly depends on the surface area
of the concrete exposed to the atmosphere. It was found that 60-80% of CO2 released
during manufacturing of cement is reabsorbed by the concrete mixtures within 25-30
days of exposure. When C&D waste is converted back to RCA, the surface area is
largely increased so enhances the CO2 absorption in the secondary stage. (i.e. after
demolition stage).

3.2.4 OBSTACLES IN USE OF RECYCLED AGGREGATE

The use of concrete with 100% substitution of natural aggregate by recycled aggregate must
be properly managed and controlled otherwise it is likely to have a harmful impact on most of
the concrete properties. Following are the drawbacks of recycled aggregate concrete:

 Variation in Physical Properties: When crushing of C&D waste takes place, there is
some mortar left adhered to the surface of the aggregate. The presence of adhered
mortar on the surface of crushed concrete aggregate generally degrades the quality of
the recycled aggregate and consequently the properties of the fresh and hardened
concrete made from it. This adhered mortar can limit the strength of recycled
aggregate concrete particularly where the parent concrete strength is lower than the
target compressive strength of the recycled aggregate concrete. Workability of
recycled aggregate concrete also decreases due to higher water absorption by recycled
aggregate. Adjustments in the mix design would be necessary to overcome the effect
of RCA on the workability, absorption, strength and shrinkage.
 Consumer’s Uncertainty: There are numerous market restrictions and technical
challenges when developing a market for secondary products. Consumer uncertainty
about the quality and consistency of product is notable barrier among these. Recycled
aggregate lacks in practical performance and engineering statistics. Such information
is necessary to aid the appropriate design codes to guide product specification and
performance information on recycled aggregate.
 Presence of Contaminants: Presence of significant amount of contaminants including
asphalt, soil, clay balls, wood, plaster etc can effectively increase the processing cost
 to high extent, resulting in diminution in the use of recycled aggregate and then can
only be used as sub base material in roads.

CHAPTER-4

MATERIAL REQUIRED

4.1. PORTLAND POZZOLANA CEMENT

Portland Pozzolana cement is integrated cement which is formed by synthesizing OPC

cement with pozzolanic materials in a certain proportion. It is commonly known as PPC
cement. In this article we discuss about the properties, manufacture, characteristics,
advantages and disadvantages of Portland Pozzolana cement.
1. The Portland pozzolana cement is manufactured by mixing ordinary portland cement
with 10 to 25 percent of the pozzolanic material.
2. The pozzolanic material may not posses cementitious property but it is a material
which essentially contains silicious or aluminous material.
3. The pozzolanic material is in finely divided form and the material mainly used for
making portland pozzolana cement is fly ash and calcined clay.
4. The calcined clay has low carbon content and it can reduce carbon content to 30
percent when comparing to the production of ordinary Portland cement. It can be used
for pozzolanic material for making PPC.
Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world as a
basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco, and non-specialty grout. It was developed from
other types of hydraulic lime in England in the early 19th century by Joseph Aspdin, and is
usually made from limestone.
It is a fine powder, produced by heating limestone and clay minerals in a kiln to
form clinker, grinding the clinker, and adding 2 to 3 percent of gypsum. Several types of
portland cement are available. The most common, called ordinary portland cement (OPC), is
grey, but white portland cement is also available. Its name is derived from its resemblance
to Portland stone which was quarried on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. It was
named by Joseph Aspdin who obtained a patent for it in 1824. However, his son William
Aspdin is regarded as the inventor of "modern" portland cement due to his developments in
the 1840s.
Portland cement is caustic, so it can cause chemical burns. The powder can cause irritation or,
with severe exposure, lung cancer, and can contain a number of hazardous components,
including crystalline silica and hexavalent chromium. Environmental concerns are the high
energy consumption required to mine, manufacture, and transport the cement, and the related
air pollution, including the release of the greenhouse gases are:-
1. Carbon dioxide
2. Dioxin
 3. NOx
4. SO2
5. Particulates.
Production of portland cement contributes about 10% of world carbon dioxide emissions.
The International Energy Agency has estimated that cement production will increase by
between 12 and 23% by 2050 to meet the needs of the world's growing population. There are
several ongoing researches targeting a suitable replacement of portland cement by
supplementary cementitious materials.
The low cost and widespread availability of the limestone, shales, and other naturally-
occurring materials used in portland cement make it one of the lowest-cost materials widely
used over the last century. Concrete produced from Portland cement is one of the world's
most versatile construction materials.
4.1.1. Properties of Portland Pozzolana Cement

1. Initial setting time = 30 min (minimum)

2. Final setting time = 600 min (maximum).
At 3 days 13MPa (minimum)
3. At 7 days 22 MPa (minimum)
4. At 28 days 33 MPa (minimum)
5. Drying shrinkage should not be more than 0.15%.
6. Fineness should not be less than 300 m2/kg.
7. Initial strength of PPC is less but final strength is equal to the 28 days strength of
OPC.
8. PPC has lower rate of development of strength than OPC.

4.1.2. Uses of Portland Pozzolana Cement

1. Used in hydraulic structures, marine structures, construction near the sea shore, dam
construction etc.
2. Used in pre-stressed and post-tensioned concrete members.
3. Used in masonry mortars and plastering.
4. As it gives better surface finish, it is used in decorative and art structures.
5. Used in manufacture of precast sewage pipes.
6. Used under harsh concreting conditions.

4.1.3. Advantages of Portland Pozzolana Cement

1. It is an eco-friendly cement as the material used in the manufacture are made of

natural recycled waste.
2. It is very fine cement hence very good when used for plastering works.
 3. Pozzolano consists of silica material which makes it cheap and hence reduces the cost
of the cement making it economical to use.
4. Pozzolana cement has very good resistance against sulphate attack hence is used in
hydraulic structures, marine structures, construction near the sea shore, dam
construction etc.
5. PPC used in pre-stressed and post-tensioned concrete members.
6. It reduces the carbon monoxide emission from the concrete making it environmental
friendly.
As the pozzolana materials are very fine, it can fill gaps between the reinforcement and
aggregate , thus reducing the shrinkage, honeycomb formation and bleeding can be reduced,
which in turn increases the strength and durability of concrete.

TABLE 4.1: PROPERTIES OF CEMENT

PROPERTY AVERAGE VALUE OF PPC STANDARD
FROM EXPERIMENT VALUE OF PPC

SPECIFIC GRAVITY 2.86 2.9

CONSISTENCY (%) 36 -

INITIAL SETTING 90 >30

TIME (MIN)

FINAL SETTING TIME 145 <600

(MIN)

TABLE 4.2: CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF CEMENT

COMPOUND PC

SIO2 20.78

AL2O3 5.11

FE2O3 3.17

CAO 60.22

NA2O 0.18

SO3 2.86
 FIG 4.1: CEMENT
4.2. AGGREGATE

Various characteristics of aggregate such as partial shape, particle size distribution,

mechanical properties and possible chemical reaction between aggregate and paste, (which
affect the bond) as well as grading governs the properties of concrete.
Inert particles (i.e., gravel, sand, and stone) added to cement and water to form concrete.
‘Aggregate’ is a term for any particulate material. It includes gravel, crushed stone, sand,
slag, recycled concrete and geo-synthetic aggregates. Aggregate may be natural,
manufactured or recycled. Aggregates make up some 60 -80% of the concrete mix. They
provide compressive strength and bulk to concrete.
Aggregates in any particular mix of concrete are selected for their durability, strength,
workability and ability to receive finishes. For a good concrete mix, aggregates need to be
clean, hard, strong particles free of absorbed chemicals or coatings of clay and other fine
materials that could cause the deterioration of concrete. Aggregates are divided into either
‘coarse’ or ‘fine’ categories.
Coarse aggregates are particulates that are greater than 4.75mm. The usual range employed
is between 9.5mm and 37.5mm in diameter.
Fine aggregates are usually sand or crushed stone that are less than 9.55mm in diameter.
Typically the most common size of aggregate used in construction is 20mm. A larger size,
40mm, is more common in mass concrete. Larger aggregate diameters reduce the quantity of
cement and water needed.
 TABLE 4.3: PROPERTIES OF AGGREGATE
PROPERTY FINE COARSE
AGGREGATE AGGREGATE

FINENESS MODULUS 2.85 7.2

SPECIFIC GRAVITY 2.64 2.68

WATER ABSORPTION 1.21 1

(%)

BULK DENSITY (KG/M3) 1.58 1.76

FIG 4.2: AGGREGATE

4.3. WATER
Concrete is produced by mixing binding materials and inert materials with water.
Thus, water and its quality (and also its quantity) plays an important role in
determining the quality of concrete. Strength and durability of concrete is to a large
extent determined by its water to cementitious materials ratio.

Water is required to wet the surface of aggregates to develop adhesive quality as the
cement paste binds quickly and satisfactorily to the wet surface of the aggregates than
to a dry surface. Also water is needed to make plastic mixture of the various
ingredients so as to impart workability to concrete to facilitate placing it in the desired
position. Ultimately, by chemically reacting with cement, water helps to produce the
desired properties of the concrete.
Usually, quality of the water is the highly neglected subject despite it having a very
important role to play in determining the durability of the final product. It is a
commonly accepted view that any potable water is suitable to be used in concrete
making. However, when only non-potable water is available, it is always better to test
the water to find out its contents and take suitable steps to contain potential adverse
effects on the final concrete.

Though slightly acidic water is harmless, highly acidic or alkaline water should be
avoided as it may have adverse effect over the hardening of concrete. Water mixed
with algae should be avoided as such water causes entrainments which in turn results
in loss of strength. It is found that sea water reduces the long-term strength of the
cement, though reduction in strength is limited to 15%. Water containing large amount
of chlorides tends to cause persistent dampness and surface efflorescence and also
corrosion of steel used in concrete.

Thus, the chemical constituents present in water may actively participate in the
chemical reactions and thus affect the setting, hardening and strength development of
concrete. Therefore, it is always better to check water quality for ensuring good
quality concrete. The ratio of the amount of water, minus the amount of water absorbed by
the aggregates, to the amount of cementitious materials by weight in concrete is called the
water-cementitious ratio and commonly referred to as the w/cm ratio. The w/cm ratio is a
modification of the historical water-cement ratio (w/c ratio) that was used to describe the
amount of water, excluding what was absorbed by the aggregates, to the amount of the port
land cement by weight in concrete. Because most concretes today contain supplementary
cementitious materials such as fly ash, slag cement, silica fume, or natural pozzolans, the
w/cm ratio is more appropriate. To avoid confusion between the w/cm and w/c ratios, use the
w/cm ratio for concretes with and without supplementary cementitious materials. The w/cm
ratio equation is: w/cm ratio = (weight of water – weight of water absorbed in the aggregate)
divided by the weight of cementitious materials. .

Upon hardening, the paste or glue consisting of the cementitious materials and water binds
the aggregates together. Hardening occurs because of the chemical reaction, called hydration,
between the cementitious materials and water. Obviously, increasing the w/cm ratio or the
amount of water in the paste dilutes or weakens the hardened paste and decreases the strength
of the concrete. As shown Figure 1, concrete compressive strength increases as w/cm ratio
decreases for both non-air-entrained and air-entrained concrete.

Decreasing the w/cm ratio also improves other hardened concrete properties by increasing the
density of the paste which lowers the permeability and increases water tightness, improves
durability and resistance to freeze-thaw cycles, winter scaling and chemical attack.
.

In general, less water produces better concrete. However, concrete needs enough water to
lubricate and provide a workable mixture that can be mixed, placed, consolidated and
finished without Because w/cm ratio controls both strength and durability, building codes
have set upper limits or maximum w/cm ratios and corresponding minimum compressive
strengths as shown in Table 1. For example, concrete exposed to freezing and thawing in a
moist condition or to deciding chemicals shall have a maximum 0.45 w/cm ratio and a
minimum 4,500 psi compressive strength to ensure durability. Designers select maximum
w/cm ratios and minimum strengths primarily based on exposure conditions and durability
concerns — not load-carrying capacity requirements. For different exposure conditions, use
the code required maximum w/cm ratios and minimum strengths to reduce the permeability
of the concrete. Doing so will increase the concrete’s resistance to weathering.

4.4 RECYCLED AGGREGATE

Recycled coarse aggregates (RCA) are produced from demolition and crushing of concrete
rubble from deteriorated concrete structures such as buildings, pavements and bridges.
Reinforcing steel bars and other embedded items, if any, are sorted out and removed from the
debris. Construction and demolition waste (C&DW), such as the illustrations shown in
figures, consists mainly of inert and non-biodegradable materials which include, but are not
limited to, concrete, mortar, wood, plastic, scrap glass, and bricks. Among the materials
found in C&DW, concrete represents a significant proportion of the total weight waste. It
may be necessary to demolish a concrete structure if the useful life of the structure has been
exceeded. Due to development of towns and cities, existing structures, or to construct new
infrastructure such as electricity transmission lines, highways, etc. Rubble from demolished
structures are regarded as waste materials, but the need to protect the environment means that
effective waste management techniques should be adopted. Many of the non-biodegradable
construction waste materials will remain in the environment for hundreds, perhaps thousands
of years, and these materials contribute to environmental problems. Another possible solution
to concrete waste management problem is to recycle demolished concrete waste and produce
an alternative aggregate for concrete. Concrete produced from such demolished concrete
waste aggregate is called recycled aggregate (RAC).

PROPERTIES OF RCA AND NCA

4.5 GENERAL PROPERTIES OF RCA AND NCA

TABLE 4.4 SHOWS COMPARISON BETWEEN THE PROPERTIES & OF VIRGIN -

AGGREGATES AND RCA

PROPERTY VIRGIN AGGREGATE RCA

Shape and Texture Well rounded, smooth Angular with rough

surface
(gravel) to angular and
rough surface

(crushed rock)

Absorption Capacity 0.8-3.7% 3.7-8.7%

Specific Gravity 2.4-2.9% 2.1-2.4

LA Abrasion Test Mass 15-30% 20-45%

Loss

Sodium Sulphate 7-21% 18-59%

Soundness test mass loss

Magnesium Sulphate 4-7% 1-9%

Soundness Mass Loss

Chloride Content 0. 1.2 kg/m3 0.6 - 7.1 kg/m3

A) SHAPE AND TEXTURE

RCA aggregate, both coarse and fine tend to very angular and rough due to the crushing of
the aggregate particle and presence of cement paste tat continues to cling to the surface of the
aggregate. Concrete mixes with angular and rough particles tend to be harsh and difficult to
finish.The hardness can be minimized by not using recycled fines and use of fly ash.

B) ABSORPTION CAPACITY
The amount of water that an aggregate can absorb is called absorption capacity. The porous
nature of the cement paste of recycled aggregates increases its absorption capacity.
Workability will reduce with high absorption capacities and resting in a decrease in time for
placing and finishing concrete.

C) SPECIFIC GRAVITY
Specific gravy is a measure of density of an aggregate. The lower specie gravity of RCA is
due to the crushed mortar present in and on the aggregate particles which make it less dense
than virgin aggregates because of it porosity and entrained air structure. The smaller particles
tend to have lower specific gravity than larger particles, thus Limiting the amount of fine
aggregates in mix can increase the specific gravity.

D) LOS ANGELES ABRASION MASS LOSS

The Los Angeles abrasion test measures the amount of pulverization that takes place in a
given aggregate. In general, greater the bass softer the aggregate and less suitable for the
concrete. The loss for the RCA is generally greater ton the natural aggregate, but within the
limits recommended by ASTM.

F) SULPHATE SOUNDNESS MASS LOSS

Soundness test are performed on aggregate to provide an indication of aggregate's resistance
to weathering and other environmental effects. RCA commonly fail the sodium sulphate
soundness test while passing the magnesium sulphate test as indicated in the table 4.1.1

G) CHLORIDE CONTENT

Pavement with bug-term exposure to deicing salts map produce RCA with high levels of
sodium chloride (NaCl). There is concern that RCA with high chloride contents may affect
the durability of the new concrete and the corrosion of steel in new concrete. If there is a
concern it is suggested that the fine aggregate be washed and that epoxy-coated steel or other
corrosion resistant steels be use for reinforcement.

SUMMARY

Recycled concrete aggregate is angular with rough surfaces. It has higher water absorption
capacity, lower specific gravity and higher Los Angeles abrasion loss, It often fail the
sulphate soundness test, but usually passes magnesium soundness test and may have higher
level of sodium chloride due to absorption of deicing salts by the cement paste clinging to the
rock.

4.6 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF FRESH CONCRETE CONTAINING

RCA
TABLE 4.5 THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF FRESH CONCRETE CONTAINING
RCA

PROPERTY RCA MIXES

 Workability o Poor workability and hardness when both
coarse and fine
o fractions are used
o Rapid loss of slump
o Problem can be solved by using only coarse
fraction combinednatural fines.
Water o Typically, higher for RCA mixes due to greater
Content absorption
o Setting water content may be difficult due to
the variableabsorption
Air Content  Trends to be higher and more variable due to
higher porosity ofRCA and entrained air in
original! mortar.

A) WORKABILITY
Concrete mixtures with both coarse and fine recycled aggregates can be very harsh and
difficult to work due to the highly angular and rough surface of RCA. Additional water is
required in order to obtain the same degree of workability especially when both coarse and
fine aggregates are wed. Workability can be improved by reducing or eliminating the number
of recycled fines in favor of natural fines using water reducers, adding fly ash or a
combination of three. Slump loss is commonly observed for mixers containing RCA due to is
high absorption characteristics.
B) WATER CONTENT
Increased water contents are required for the mixtures containing RCA due to the high
absorption capacity of the paste clinging to the aggregate. The higher absorption capacity
makes it difficult to determine the water content which in turn lead to variation in the strength
of hardened concrete.

C) AIR CONTENT
Higher and more variable air contents are common in fresh concrete made with RCA. This is
due to the higher porosity of recycled aggregates themselves and to the entrained air in the
original mortar.

SUMMARY
Fresh concrete made with recycled aggregate lends to be very harsh due to the angular shape
and rough surface of the aggregate, require higher water contents due to higher absorption
capacity of the cement paste, higher air content due to greater porosity of the recycled
aggregates the makes and to the entrained sir in the original mortar than concrete nude with
virgin aggregates.

4.7 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF HARDENED CONCRETE

CONTAINING RCA
TABLE 4.6 GIVES THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF HARDENED CONCRETE
CONTAINING RCA
PROPERTY RCA MIX

Compressive Strength Generally, slightly lower due to the

reduction of the percent of natural
aggregates.

Flexural Strength Generally, slightly lower but it varies

depending on the quality of the original
aggregates and the amount of recycled fine
aggregates used

Modulus of Elasticity Generally,20 to 40% lower than mixes with

natural aggregates.

Durability: - 1. Superior to virgin aggregates mixes

2. Reduced potential due to crushing of
1. Freeze Thaw
original aggregates to smaller sizes.
2. D-Cracking
3. Increased potential due to increased
3. Alkali Silica Reaction
surface area of the aggregates that
have been crushed
Creep Higher due to the higher cement paste
fraction

Drying Shrinkage Higher due to the higher cement paste

fraction

Bond Strength with reinforcement Equal to virgin aggregates mixes, but

reduced if recycled fines are used.
A) COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
Compressive strength of concrete containing RCA are generally slightly lower than concretes
made with natural aggregates Sometimes higher strength depends upon the water-cement
ratios for the mix. The higher air contents normally four in mixes coating RCA may also lead
to lower strength values.

B) FLEXURAL STRENGTH
The use of recycled coarse aggregate reduces the flexural strength by up to 8 percent at the
same water cement ratio, if recycled fine aggregates are used the reduction is more. Also, it
depend on the quality of the concrete used to produce RCA.

C) MODULUS OF ELASTICITY
The Modulus of Elasticity of concrete made with RCA is 20 to 40 percent lower than that of
conventional concrete at the same water cement ratio. This reduction can be more when
recycled fine aggregates are used.

CHAPTER 5
 EXPERIMENTAL METHODOLOGY

5.1 MIX DESIGN OF RECYCLED AGGREGATE CONCRETE (RCA)

The design of a concrete mix, refer to Table 5.1, is usually based on a compressive strength
which is sufficient to achieve both of two principal requirements of the hardened concrete for
obtaining good quality concrete.

 The water/cement ratio should be low enough to give the required strength for
structural and durability purposes.
 The mix should be workable and cohesive enough to ensure a thoroughly compacted
and homogenous material.

Therefore, it is very important to find out particle size distribution or grading of aggregate,
shape of aggregate, particle oven dry density and water absorption, moisture content of
aggregate to design the mix. The target strength of the first trial mix for both 100 percent
recycled and virgin concrete with fly ash is 40MPa. The water/cement ratio is 0.42, the
aggregates constitute over 60 percent of the total volume of the concrete including 60 percent
of coarse aggregate and 40 percent fine aggregate for both recycled and natural concrete trial
mix in this experiment.

5.2 MIXING AND MOULDING OF CONCRETE (MIXES)

The objective of mixing is to obtain a uniform and consistent of cement, water, aggregate,
sand and any admixtures used in the concrete and also to meet the requirement of the
standard. There are and six cylinders and three prisms in each batch and approximately four
trial batches and all the mix are prepared in accordance with clause 10 and mix design.

APPARATUS:

 Pan Mixer consists of a cylindrical pan rotating about a vertical axis with capacity of
20 - 25 litres mixing. One set of paddles rotate within the pan also on a vertical axis.

TEST PROCEDURE:

1. Weigh all materials according to the mix design.

2. Clean up the inside of the pan mixer by wet wipe.
3. Use a small amount of cement, coarse and fine sand to wipe the inside surface of the pan
mixer to prevent any lost materials of the batch.
4. Place the coarse aggregate into the mixer first, then the coarse and fine sand, cement and
fly ash.
5. Start and adding the water within the first minutes refer to Figure 5.1.
6. Stop after first two minutes and remove any materials have been adherent at the inside
surface or paddle back to mixer during the rest two minutes.
7. Then mix for two minutes.
8. Stop and measure the slump within the range of 60mm and 100mm during next three
minutes.
9. Check the ambient and concrete temperature with a partial or total immersion
thermometer.
FIG 5.1: MIXING PROCEDURE
5.3 WORKABILITY TESTS OF FRESH CONCRETE AND SLUMP
TEST
This test is to determine the slump of concrete, when the nominal size of aggregate does not
exceed 40mm. The method also describes the procedure of filling a slump cone with fresh
concrete in layers, rodding each layer 25 times and then removing the support given to the
concrete by the slump cone by raising the slump cone vertically upwards away from the
concrete. The vertical subsidence of the concrete that occurs, when the slump cone is raised,
is the termed the ‘slump’ of the concrete.

5.3.1 APPARATUS AND TEST PROCEDURE OF SLUMP TEST

APPARATUS:

 Mould (Figure 5.) shall be a hollow frustum of a cone manufactured from galvanized
steel sheet with thickness of between 1.5mm to 2.0mm, the bottom and the top of the
mould being open and at right-angles to the axis of the cone. The mould shall be
provided with suitable foot-pieces and handles or other means of holding in place
during filling and its internal surface shall be smooth.
 Rod (Figure 5.) used to for compacting concrete in the mould shall be a metal rod of
16±1mm in diameter, approximate 600mm long and having at least one end tapered
for a distance of approximately 25mm to a spherical shape having a radius of
approximately 5mm.
 Scoop (Figure 5.) shall be made from non-absorbent material not readily attacked by
cement paste and suitable for taking increments of concrete.
 Base plate (Figure 5.) shall be of shall be of smooth, rigid, non-absorbent material.
 A steel ruler (Figure 5.)

TEST PROCEDURE:

1. For concrete made in the laboratory, the test sample shall be prepared in accordance with
IS Code
2. Ensure that the internal surface of the mould is clean and free from set concrete.
3. Moisten the internal surface of the mould by wiping with a damp cloth immediately before
commencing each test.
4. Place the mould on a smooth horizontal levelled base place. Hold the mould firmly in place
by standing on the foot-pieces against the base plate while the mould is being filled.
5. Fill the mould in three layers each approximately one-third of the height of the mould.
6. Rod each layer with 25 strokes of the rounded end of the rod.
7. After the top layer has been rodded, strike off the surface of the concrete by using a
screeding and rolling motion of the rod so that the mould is filled exactly.
8. Immediately remove the mould from the concrete by raising it slowly and carefully in a
vertical direction, allowing the concrete to subside.
9. Immediately measure the slump by determining the difference between the height of the
mould (300mm) and the average height of the top surface of the concrete to the nearest 5mm
for slumps of 100mm and less.
10. Tapping the surface of the baseplate to check the workability.
11. Records identification of the concrete, laboratory where tested, date and time of test,
slump, identification of testing operator.
12. Report the slump to the nearest 5mm.
 CHAPTER-6

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION
The total experimental investigations involved in this dissertation work have been done in
details. The details of the work are given below.

6.1 MATERIALS
The materials used in the entire investigation are as follows:
I. CEMENT:
Cement used is 53 grade Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC).
II. NATURAL COARSE AGGREGATES:
The N.C.A used here are of 20 mm down size. Preliminary test such as water absorption,
moisture content, sieve analysis, specific gravity and crushing strength tests have carried out
and the results are as given in Table 5.2 below
III. NATURAL FINE AGGREGATE:
Preliminary test of sieve analysis have been conducted and shown in table.

IV. RECYCLED AGGREGATE CONCRETE:

The waste concrete was brought from the demolished structure situated at city bus stand. The
coarse aggregate (C.A) is separated from the concrete by hammering. Mortar adhered to the
aggregate is also removed from the aggregate as much as possible. Obtained C.A is sieved
under 20mm sieve (passing) and 4.75mmsieve (retained), later these aggregates can be used
as R.C.A for further work. Details regarding sieve analysis of RCA are given in Table 5.9

FIG 6.1: CRUSHING RCA FIG 6.2: OBTAINING RCA

PRELIMINARY TESTS CONDUCTED ON RECYCLED COARSE AGGREGATES:
After obtaining the R.C.A from original concrete, preliminary tests such as sieve analysis,
water absorption, moisture content, specific gravity and crushing strengths have been carried
out. The results of above tests are as given in Table 5.4 below

MATERIAL USED:

TABLE 6.1: MATERIALS USED FOR SLUMP TEST

QTY OF CEMENT QTY OF SAND OTHER OF WATER CONTENT
COARSE
AGGREGATE

1.38kg 2.083kg 4.1kg 0.75 ltr

TABLE 6.2: MATERIALS USED FOR OTHER TESTS

COARSE QTY OF QTY OF QTY OF WATER
AGGREGATE CEMENT SAND COARSE CONTENT
USED AGGREGATE

NATURAL 8.265kg 12.5kg 24.6kg 4.2ltrs

AGGREGATE

RECYCLE 8.265kg 12.5kg 24.6kg 4.2ltrs

AGGREGATE

6.2: CONCRETE SLUMP TEST AS PER IS: 456-2000

PROCEDURE OF CONCRETE SLUMP TEST:

1. The mold for the slump test is a frustum of a cone, 300 mm (12 in) of height, The base is
200 mm (8in) in diameter and it has a smaller opening at the top of 100 mm (4 in).

2. The base is placed on a smooth surface and the container is filled with concrete in three
layers, whose workability is to be tested.

3. Each layer is temped 25 times with a standard 16 mm (5/8 in) diameter steel rod, rounded
at the end.
4. When the mold is completely filled with concrete, the top surface is struck off (leveled
with mold top opening) by means of screening and rolling motion of the temping rod.

5. The mold must be firmly held against its base during the entire operation so that it could
not move due to the pouring of concrete and this can be done by means of handles or foot -
rests brazed to the mold.

6. Immediately after filling is completed and the concrete is leveled, the cone is slowly and
carefully lifted vertically, an unsupported concrete will now slump.

7. The decrease in the height of the center of the slumped concrete is called slump.

8. The slump is measured by placing the cone just besides the slump concrete and the
temping rod is placed over the cone so that it should also come over the area of slumped
concrete.

9. The decrease in height of concrete to that of mold is noted with scale. (Usually measured
to the nearest 5 mm (1/4 in).

FIG 6.3: SLUMP TEST

6.3: TYPES OF CONCRETE SLUMP

The slumped concrete takes various shapes, and according to the profile of slumped concrete,
the slump is termed as-

1. Collapse Slump
2. Shear Slump
3. True Slump
 FIG 6.4: TYPES OF SLUMP

6.4: APPLICATION OF SLUMP TEST: -

TABLE 6.3: CONCRETE USED FOR DIFFERENT WORKABILITY OF

SLUMP
DEGREE OF SLUMP USE FOR WHICH CONCRETE IS
WORKABILITY (mm) SUITABLE

Very low <25 Roads vibrated by power-operated machines. At

the more workable end of this group, concrete
may be compacted in certain cases with hand-
operated machines

Low 25-75 Roads vibrated by hand-operated machines. At

the more workable end of this group, concrete
may be morally compacted in roads using
aggregate of rounded

Or irregular shape. Mass concrete foundations

without vibration or lightly reinforced section
with vibration.
 Medium 50-100 At the less workable end of this group, manually
compacted flat slobs using crushed aggregates.
Normal reinforced concrete manually compacted
and heavily reinforced sections with vibration.

High 100-150 For sections with congested reinforcement. Not

normally suitable for vibration. For pumping and
tremie placing.

Very High >150 Flow table test is more suitable.

6.5: COMPRESSIVE TEST OF CONCRETE AS PER IS: 456-2000

Compressive strength of concrete cube test provides an idea about all the characteristics of
concrete. By this single test one judge that whether Concreting has been done properly or not.
Concrete compressive strength for general construction varies from 15 MPa to 30 MP and
higher in commercial and industrial structures. Compressive strength of concrete depends on
many factors such as water-cement ratio, cement strength, quality of concrete material, and
quality control during production of concrete etc.

Test for compressive strength is carried out either on cube or cylinder. Various standard
codes recommend concrete cylinder or concrete cube as the standard specimen for the test.
American Society for Testing Materials ASTM C39/C39M provides Standard Test Method
for Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens.

 APPARATUS FOR CONCRETE CUBE TEST

Compression testing machine

 PREPARATION OF CONCRETE CUBE SPECIMEN

The proportion and material for making these test specimens are from the same concrete
used in the field.
 SPECIMEN
Cubes of 15 cm x 15 cm x 15 cm size

 PREPARATION OF CONCRETE CUBES FOR THE TEST

 For cube test two types of specimens either cubes of 15cm x15cm x 15cm or 10cm x10cm
x10 cm depending upon the size of aggregate are used. For most of the work cubical
mould of size 15cm x 15cm x 15cm are commonly used.
 This concrete is poured in the mould and tempered properly so as not to have any voids.
After 24 hours these moulds are removed and test specimens are put in water for curing.
The top surface of these specimen should be made even and smooth. This is done by
putting cement paste and spreading smoothly on whole area of specimen.
 These specimens are tested by compression testing machine after 7 days curing or 28 days
curing. Load should be applied gradually at the rate of 140 kg/cm2 per minute till the
 Specimens fails. Load at the failure divided by area of specimen gives the compressive
strength of concrete.

FIG 6.5: MAKING CONCRETE CUBES FIG 6.6: CUBES MADE

 CURING OF CUBES
The test specimens are stored in moist air for 24 hours and after this period the specimens are
marked and removed from the molds and kept submerged in clear fresh water until take out
prior to test.

FIG 6.7: CURING OF CUBES

 PROCEDURE FOR CUBE TEST
1. Remove the specimen from water after specified curing time and wipe out excess
water from the surface.
2. Clean the bearing surface of the testing machine.
3. Place the specimen in the machine in such a manner that the load shall be applied to
the opposite sides of the cube cast.
4. Align the specimen centrally on the base plate of the machine.
5. Rotate the movable portion gently by hand so that it touches the top surface of the
specimen.
6. Apply the load gradually without shock and continuously at the rate of 140
kg/cm/minute till the specimen fails.
7. Record the maximum load and note any unusual features in the type of failure.

FIG 6.8: COMPRESSION STRENGTH TEST OF CUBES

6.6: CASTING, CURING AND TESTING WORK:

For each mix six cubes of 150mm x 150mm x 150mm in size. The cast specimens were kept
in ambient temperature for 24 hours. After 24 hours they were demoulded and placed in
water for curing. Cubes were used to determine the compressive strength of concrete at 7
days and 28 days. Quantities of the concrete ingredients which are obtained based on N.C.A
and R.C.A have been co-related with each other. Using the material quantities obtained after
co-relation, cubes are cast. Here, six different mixes are made and in each mix the N.C.A are
replaced by R.C.A by 20% i.e., in the 1st mix 100% N.C.A are used in concrete mix where as
in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th mix, 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% replacement of N.C.A by R.CA is
made. In the final 6th mix N.C.A are completely replaced 100% by R.C.A. Prepared
specimens were kept immersed in water and tested for their strength after 7-days and 28-days
of curing.
6.7: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The results of various experiments which were carried out in the dissertation work are given
in this chapter. Based on the obtained results, some of the salient points are discussed below:
The results showing sieve analysis carried out for N.C.A, N.F.A and R.C.A are given in
Table below respectively. The results of Slump test are given in table below.
Various other experiment on concrete cubes were performed to determine the strength of
cube, quality of concrete cubes such as Compressive test , rebound hammer test , and
ultrasonic pulse velocity test.
Rebound hammer test and ultrasonic pulse velocity test were performed on the concrete cube
before compressive test to check the quality and strength of concrete cube. The results of all
these test are shown in the tables given below.
TABLE 6.4: SIEVE ANALYSIS OF N.C.A
SIEVE WT. OF CUMULATIVE %AGE CUMULATIVE %AGE
SIZE AGGREGATE WT. WT. % WT. PASSING
RETAINED(GM) RETAINED(GM RETAINE RETAINED
(MM)
) D

20 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 100

16 356 356 7.12 7.12 92.8

12.50 720 1076 14.40 21.26 78.74

10.00 1362 2438 27.24 48.56 51.50

4.75 842 5000 17.10 100.00 00.00

TABLE 6.5: SIEVE ANALYSIS OF N.F.A

SIEVE WT. OF CUMULATIVE %AGE CUMULATIVE %AGE
SIZE AGGREGATE WT. WT. % WT. PASSING
RETAINED(GM) RETAINED(GM) RETAINED RETAINED
(MM)

4.75 64.128 64.128 6.41 6.41 93.6

2.36 40.08 104.208 4.0 10.41 89.6

1.18 178.35 282.564 17.8 28.25 71.75

 600 278.55 561.12 27.85 56.11 43.9

150 54.108 997.992 5.41 99.80 0.3

TABLE 6.6: SIEVE ANALYSIS OF R.C.A

SIEVE WT. OF CUMULATIVE %AGE CUMULATIV %AGE
SIZE AGGREGATE WT. WT. E % WT. PASSING
RETAINED(GM RETAINED(GM) RETAINED RETAINED
(MM)
)

20 72 72 1.44 1.44 98.56

16 391 463 7.82 9.26 90.74

12.50 739 1202 14.78 24.04 75.96

10.00 1228 2430 24.56 48.60 51.40

4.75 917 5000 18.34 100.00 00.00

The variation in pass percentage under various sieve sizes for N.C.A and R.C.A is shown in
TABLE 7, it can be noted that there is a little variations in the percentage passing (sieve
analysis) between N.C.A and R.C.A. Before using R.C.A as concrete ingredients, the
aggregates are sieved under 20mm (passing) and 4.75mm (retaining) sieve sizes. Also surface
of R.C.A are rubbed thoroughly using dry cloth to remove the surface dirt as much as
possible, because of which little variation in percentage is observed between N.C.A. and
R.C.A. Compressive strength of the trial mixes carried by varying cement content is given in
Table VIII.
 CHART 6.1: SEIVE ANALYSIS OF NCA & RCA

A. SLUMP TEST:

TABLE 6.7: SLUMP TEST RESULT

SLUMP VALUE 45MM

B. COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH:
The cube compressive strength for all the mixes at 7 and 28 days of curing is presented in
Table IX. The results show that the concrete specimens with more replacement of recycled
aggregate have the lowest compressive strength when compared to the concrete specimens
with less recycled aggregate for both 7 days and 28 days of curing. 7 days compressive
strength is generally 60-80% of the 28 days compressive strength. Figure2 shows that the
compressive strength at 28 days for 20% replacement of R.C.A has dropped around 5.14%.
Even up to 60% replacement of recycled aggregate, the compressive strength gets reduced
only to a maximum of 10.79% with respect to that of control concrete. There is a drop of
29.11% compressive strength for the 100% recycled aggregate. The compressive strength of
the concrete specimens for 60% recycled aggregate is 27.61N/mm2, which meets the target
strength of 27.6N/mm2. From the obtained results, it is clear that there is a possibility to use
60% recycled coarse aggregate in applications like concrete blocks and pavements.
 TABLE 6.8: COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH TEST RESULTS
S.NO %AGE DAYS LOAD COMPRESSIVE
REPLACEMENT STRENGTH(N/MM^2)
OF TESTED(KN)
OF N.C.A BY
CURING
R.C.A

1. 0% 7 days 512.5 22.8

28 days 649.9 28.9

2. 20% 7 days 499.5 22.2

28 days 632.2 28.1

3. 40% 7 days 483.5 21.5

28 days 609.7 27.1

4. 60% 7 days 461.2 20.5

28 days 585.0 26.0

5. 80% 7 days 429.5 19.1

28 days 526.0 23.4

6. 100% 7 days 409.5 18.2

28 days 492.5 21.3

CHART 6.2: COMPARISON OF COMPRESSIVE STRENGTHS AT 7 & 28 DAYS

C. TEST ON HARDENED CONCRETE (NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING)

 REBOUND HAMMER TEST

The compressive strength of the concrete cube specimens can be tested in a compression
testing machine under a fixed load and then the compressive strength determined as per IS
516:1959 from the rebound number (rebound index) from rebound hammer test (Schmidt
Hammer) can be compared. The test can be performed on samples in the laboratory after 28
days.
The estimation of strength of concrete by rebound hammer method cannot be held to be very
accurate and probable accuracy of prediction of concrete strength in a structure is ± 25
percent. The test conducted on cube specimen is shown in Figure.
TABLE 6.9: HAMMER REBOUND TEST RESULTS

CUBE OBSERVED REBOUND NUMBER AVG RN COMPRESSIVE QUALITY OF

NO. STRNGTH SURFACE
(N/mm2)
1. 31 30 31 34 33 34 32.5 27 GOOD
LAYER
2. 30 30 31 34 33 34 32 26 GOOD
LAYER
3. 30 29 30 31 32 31 30.5 24.3 GOOD
 LAYER
4. 29 30 32 30 30 32 30.5 24.3 GOOD
LAYER
5. 29 28 27 30 29 30 29 22 FAIR
LAYER
6. 29 28 29 27 27 28 28 20 FAIR
LAYER

35
Hammer Rebound Test CTM Test
ve
es
pr

re
m

gt
St
si
C
o

30 28.9 28.1
27 27.1
26 26
25 24.3 24.3 23.4
22 21.3
20
20

15

10

0
0 20 40 60 80 100

Percentage replacement of Concrete

CHART 6.3: HAMMER REBOUND TEST & CTM TEST COMPARISON

 ULTRASONIC PULSE VELOCITY TEST

The ultrasonic pulse is generated by electroacoustical transducer. When the pulse is induced
into the concrete from transducer it undergoes multiple reflections at the boundaries of the
different material phases within the concrete. Due to the fact the rate of the pulses is nearly
independent of the geometry of the material through which they pass and depends on its
elastic properties, pulse velocity technique for investigating structural concrete.

The UPV test equipment consists of an transducers, electrical pulse generator, amplifier and
electronic timing device. The test can be performed on samples in the laboratory after 28
days. The electronic timing device is used for measuring the time interval between the
initiation of a pulse generated at the transmitting transducer and its arrival at the receiving
transducer. Many factors are influencing the test results, mix proportion, curing period,
moisture content, travel distance of the wave etc., The test is described as Pulse velocity (in
km/s or m/s) is given by:
V=L/T, where
V is the longitudinal pulse velocity,
L is the path length,
T is the time taken by the pulse to travel path length.
The method consists of measuring the ultrasonic pulse.

TABLE 6.10: ULTRASONIC PULSE VELOCITY TEST RESULTS

CUBE PATH TRANSMIT PULSE QUALITY OF

NO. LENGTH TIME VELOCITY CONCRETE
(mm) (usec) (km/sec) GRADING

1. 150 38.5 3.89 GOOD

2. 150 39.3 3.81 GOOD

3. 150 39.8 3.76 GOOD

4. 150 41.0 3.65 GOOD

5. 150 43.4 3.45 DOUGTHFULL

6. 150 44.1 3.40 DOUGTHFULL

4
3.89
3.9
3.81
3.8 3.76
PULSE VELOCITY KM/SEC

3.7 3.65
3.6

3.5 3.45
3.4
3.4

3.3

3.2

3.1
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
PERCENTAGE OF RCA

CHART 6.4: CHART SHOWING PULSE VELOCIY AND RCA PERCENTAGE.

CONCLUSION
Based on the results and discussions given in the previous chapters, some of the conclusions
drawn are as listed below:

 Little variation in %age passing (Sieve Analysis) is observed between N.C.A and
R.C.A. this is mainly because of carrying out proper sieve analysis of R.C.A and by
removing the surface dirt present on R.C.A by rubbing with dry cloth.
 Water absorption of RCA is more than the water absorption of NCA due to the older
mortar adhered to the surface of aggregate which contribute towards decrease of
strengths.
 The strength of concrete decreases as the percentage of RCA increases. From the
concrete mix design the target mean strength of 27.6 N/mm2 can be achieved for M20
grade concrete by 60% replacement of natural coarse aggregate by recycled coarse
aggregates.
 The NDT Test(Rebound Hammer Test) values of concrete for 60%of recycled
aggregate as partial replacement of natural aggregate was found to have better result
compared to control mix(0% replacement). The compressive test found from the RCA
with 60% replacement tend to have a good surface but after more replacement of
RCA, the surface tends to be not good enough for construction works.
 The UPV values of all specimens were in the range of 3.20 km/sto 4.42 km/s and the
values tend to increase with the age. However, the values decrease as the replacement
level of the RCA increases. The results presented in table clearly show the
relationship between the average UPV values of specimens with the RCA content and
the age of testing. For the specimen with the coarse aggregate content replaced by
00% of the RCA, it attains the highest UPV value among all other specimens with the
RCA replacement, 3.89km/sec at the age of 28 days, while the lowest UPV value is
achieved by 100% RCA replacement, 3.40km/s. The difference is only 12.5% even
though there has been a drastic change in the RCA content. According to the IS Code
the specimens are classified as in ‘‘good’’ condition as their UPV values fall in the
range of 3.66 km/s–4.58 km/s .At 28 days, all specimens with replacement up to 60%
are evidently being in ‘‘good’’ condition. The UPV test is used to predict the
characteristic of the internal particles of concrete and the quality of the concrete.
REFERENCES
1. Bureau of Indian Standard, New Delhi.
2. IS 8112:1989, Specification for 43 grade Ordinary Portland Cement, Bureau of Indian
Standard, New Delhi.
3. IS 3025:1964, Methods of sampling and test (physical and chemical) for water used in
industry.
4. IS 383-1970 „SPECIFICATION FOR COASE AND FINE AGGREGATE FROM
NATURAL SOURCES FOR CONCRETE‟, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi,
September 1993.
5. IS 10262:2009, “Concrete Mix Proportioning – Guidelines”, First Revision, July, 2009.
6. IS: 516:1959 „Methods of tests for strength of concrete, BIS India.
7. IS: 456-2000 „Plain and Reinforced Concrete- Code of Practise‟.
8. Cement Concrete & Aggregate, Australia Page no. 10, Use of Recycled Aggregate in
Construction.\
9. Christian J. Engelsen, Jacob Mehus, Claus Pade and Dag Henning Sæther Page no. 5,
„Carbon dioxide uptake in demolished and crushed concrete‟.
10. Standards Australia. Guide to the use of recycled concrete and masonry materials (HB
155:2002). Sydney, Australia.
11. Presented by Murray Reid, Senior Technical Manager, TRL. Page3, Recycled aggregate
and the Quality Protocol.
12. Best Practice Guide for the use of Recycled Aggregate in New Concrete, TR 14, Page no.
6.
13. Cement Concrete & Aggregate, Australia, Use of Recycled Aggregate in Construction,
Page no. 11.
14. National Ready Mixed Concrete Association. Silver Springs, MD, USA. „Crushed
Returned Concrete as Aggregate for New Concrete.‟
15. ASTM International. ASTM C33. Standard Specification for Concrete Aggregate (ASTM
C33/C33M–11a).
16. Madan Mohan Reddy.K, Bhavani.R and Ajitha. B, „Local Construction And Demolition
Waste Used As Coarse Aggregates In Concrete‟, International Journal of Engineering
Research and Applications (IJERA) ISSN: 2248-9622 www.ijera.com Vol. 2, Issue 5,
September- October 2012, pp.1236-1238.