STRENGTH CHARACTERISTIC OF CONCRETE MADE WITH DEMOLITION WASTE AS COARSE AGGREGATE

摘要

Demolition of old structures to make way for new and modern ones is a common feature in metropolitan areas due to rapid urbanisation. The demolition waste is becoming a source of nuisance because of lack of dumping space and the strict environmental laws. At the same time the conventional building materials are increasingly becoming expensive and scare. So the demolition waste obtained from the demolition of structures can be used as coarse aggregate for the concrete. The present paper makes an effort to prove that the waste from demolition of structures, willful or otherwise, is supplementary to the housing industry. Recent research indicates that broken concrete obtained from demolition waste can be used to produce useful aggregates which in turn can be used for making new concrete of acceptable quality. This will not only reduce the transportational charges of aggregate but would also provide a viable solution to the nuisance of demolition waste. Extensive tests for structural properties such as compressive strength, flexural strength, split tensile strength, Shear strength and bond strength of recycled aggregate concrete and its comparison with that of natural aggregate concrete had been carried out. Test results showed that the behaviour of recycled aggregate concrete was similar to that of natural aggregate concrete.