Performance Degradation of the Repeated Recycled Aggregate Concrete with 70% Replacement of Three-generation Recycled Coarse Aggregate

The feasibility of using different generations recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) on structural concrete was fully evaluated by studying the performance of the recycled coarse aggregates and their corresponding concretes, the different generations of RCA were recycled by following the repeated mode of 'concrete-waste concrete-coarse aggregate-concrete'. Moreover, the focus was on 'three generations' of repeated RCAs, the RCA was produced by crushing and regenerating the artificial accelerated degraded concrete, the process was designed to follow the nature degradation of the concrete with a coupling action of accelerated carbonation and bending load. The properties of x-generation (x=1, 2 or 3) of repeated RCA were systematically investigated and the compressive and splitting tensile strengths of relating structural concretes(with 70% replacement of x-generation of RCA) were studied accordingly. The results show a competent compressive and splitting tensile strength of 30 MPa at 28th day of structural concretes with all generations of repeated RAC. And the gradual degraded performance of the repeated RCAs was observed with an increased numbers of repetition (1>2>3 generations), the overall performances of all repeated RCAs fulfill the Class. according to Chinese Standards GB25177-2010. Our gained insight demonstrates a feasibility of using at least 3 generations of repeated RCA for the production of normal structural concrete.