Performance Evaluation of Structural Concrete Using Recycled Aggregate

In the past, recycled aggregate was used very limitedly in low value-added areas such as the base layer of roads. However, in response to the shortage of natural aggregate, high consciousness of resource saving and changed idea on environment, the quality of recycled aggregate has been improved considerably, and the percentage of recycled construction waste is increasing every year compared to simple landfill or incineration. Recently the Act on the Promotion of Construction Waste Recycling was enacted on December 2003 for the efficient use of recycled aggregate, and the Standards for the Quality of Recycled Aggregate for Concrete (Proposal) were announced in order to use and manage recycled aggregate according to quality. According to the Standards for the Quality of Recycled Aggregate for Concrete (Proposal), it is recommended to substitute recycled coarse aggregate and fine aggregate below 30% each. However, compared to the trend of recycling, the recycling rate of aggregate is still quite low. It is because of low performance of recycled aggregate, users` lack of understanding, etc. These problems basically come from the decrease of strength of recycled concrete resulting from the use of recycled aggregate, and recycled aggregate is still considered not reliable because there have been not many cases of actual application. If the basic problem of strength decrease is solved and data on recycled aggregate is provided through actual field placing, we may maximize the use of recycled aggregate. Thus, in order to maximize the use of recycled aggregate that satisfy the recycled aggregate quality standards, the present study made a mock-up similar to real structures, evaluated its performance and examined the field applicability of recycled aggregate concrete.