Drying Shrinkage and Rapid Chloride Penetration Resistance of Recycled Aggregate Concretes Using Cement Paste Dissociation Agent

Materials (Basel). 2021 Mar 17;14(6):1478. doi: 10.3390/ma14061478.

Abstract

In the present study, a recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) coating treatment using a cement paste dissociation agent (CPDA) with different mixing methods was newly incorporated in RCA concrete mixtures. First, a preliminary test program was conducted to determine the proper dosage of the CPDA solution throughout its RCA concrete test results from compressive strength, flexural strength, and elastic modulus. Then, a series of experimental tests were carried out to investigate the effect of RCA coating treatment, different mixing method such as the equivalent mortar volume (EMV) method and conventional method, and different RCA replacement ratios on durability test results of RCA concrete such as drying shrinkage values and rapid chloride penetration test (RCPT) values. The test results showed that all RCA concretes mixed with the coated RCAs were found to be workable regardless of different mix methods, with the slump and air contents of all the mixes being almost identical. All the concrete specimens, which were mixed with the coated RCAs with CPDA solution, represented lower drying shrinkage and RCPT values than those mixed without RCA coating treatment, regardless of different mix proportioning methods or RCA replacement ratios. This holds for the concrete specimens proportioned with the EMV method, regardless of different RCA replacement ratios.

Keywords: RCA coating; cement paste; dissociation agent; mixture proportioning; recycled concrete aggregate.