Abstract
Currently, approximately 90% of waste concrete is being used solely for landfills. Of the total waste concrete only about 14% is made into aggregate and recycled. Such usage is a very low-efficiency method of recycling these materials, under-utilizing an important and valuable asset. Common engineering practice has thus far failed to promote the design of structural members using recycled aggregates. Moreover, appropriate structural design standards for such materials have not been established, despite the number of domestic research studies which have been, and are being, conducted. Such practices overlook the fact that the recycling of aggregate from demolished concrete structures is both structurally and economically beneficial. In making full use of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) it is necessary to understand its mechanical properties such as compressive, tensile and flexural strengths, and bond strength, as well as its structural performance. The main objectives of this research study are the investigation of flexural performance and the evaluation of the potential applications of RCA on concrete structures. For this, flexural tests of 12 reinforced high-strength concrete beams with RCA were performed. The current test data were examined in terms of flexural strength, along with the data from previously tested reinforced concrete beams with RCA. It is anticipated that this research will play a role of establishing the structural design standards for concrete members with RCA.
