Abstract
The quality of recycled aggregate is affected by original concrete strength and the manufacturing process of recycled aggregates. In this study, the porosity of old and new mortar, and the compressive strength of concrete were investigated to examine the influence of recycled aggregate on the concrete. Six kinds of recycled coarse aggregates were produced from concrete blocks of differing strength levels (A:60. 1MPa, B:41.7MPa, C:25.5MPa). Original concrete strength and the bond mortar of recycled aggregate influences the pore structures of both old and new mortar. The pore size distribution of old mortar was found to be greatly affected by age, and the reduction of the porosity of bond mortar on low strength recycled aggregate increased at a greater rate than that of bond mortar on high strength recycled aggregate. The pore size distribution of new mortar in recycled aggregate concrete changed in comparison with that of new mortar in virgin aggregate concrete. The total porosity of new mortar using B level recycled aggregates was smaller than that of new mortar with A, and C level recycled aggregates. Moreover, the compressive strength of recycled aggregate concrete was found to have been affected by original concrete strength. The compressive strength of concrete only changed slightly in the porosity of new mortar over $15\%$, but increased rapidly in the porosity of new mortar fewer than $15\%$.
