Durability of steel-fiber-reinforced self-compacted concrete with 100% recycled mixed aggregates

Abstract

This paper investigates the durability of an innovative self-compacting concrete incorporating 100% recycled mixed aggregates in the coarse fraction and reinforced with steel fibers, aiming to contribute towards sustainable construction practices. The recycling of construction and demolition waste into aggregates for concrete production represents a promising strategy to address environmental challenges associated with waste disposal, natural resource depletion, and energy consumption. Recognizing the current gap in knowledge regarding comprehensive durability assessments for fully recycled, fiber-reinforced concretes, the study specifically addresses concerns related to aggressive environmental exposures typical of structures. An extensive experimental campaign was conducted, involving water penetration under pressure, internal sulfate attack, and chloride penetration tests. The results demonstrate that this steel-fiber-reinforced self-compacting concrete exhibits promising resistance against aggressive environmental agents. The key findings confirm its potential applicability in foundational structural elements, highlighting that this sustainable alternative does not significantly compromise durability when compared to conventional concretes. Consequently, this research advances understanding of how high-content recycled aggregate concretes can achieve both structural integrity and environmental sustainability, supporting broader implementation in practical engineering applications.

The authors would like to thank the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR), Barcelona, Spain and the company ESCOFET 1886, S.A., Barcelona, Spain, for the economic support within the Industrial Doctorate Programme of Dr. Francisco Mena. This study was also fund by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under the scope of project CREEF (PID2019-108978RB-C32). Likewise, the authors wish to thank the Structural and Materials Technology Laboratory Luis Agulló Lab Staff, belonging to UPC-Barcelona Tech, Spain. We would like to thank FCC for the opportunity of on-site experiences.

Peer Reviewed

Postprint (published version)