Deterioration of Recycled Concrete Under Coupled Loading and Aggressive Environmental Actions

OBJECTIVES

To enable broader acceptance of recycled aggregate concrete created from construction and demolition waste

Creation of a durable recycled concrete product

To better understand how recycled concrete breaks down under both heavy use and harsh environmental conditions

To test how the amount and treatment of recycled materials affects concrete strength and durability

Team

Wengui Li

Lead Researcher

Hanbing Zhao

PhD

Partners

University of New South Wales

Wuhan Geoyuan Geotechnical Engineering Co.

Progress

SUMMARY

Led by the University of New South Wales, this project focuses on improving the durability of recycled concrete, which is made using materials recovered from construction and demolition waste. The research team is running experiments to find out how recycled concrete holds up when it’s under physical stress and exposed to tough environmental conditions like moisture, chemicals, or temperature changes. They are testing different combinations of recycled aggregates, additives, and treatments to see what works best. Cutting-edge tools such as X-ray CT scans and nano-scale imaging are being used to look inside the concrete and identify how it weakens over time. The ultimate goal is to develop a durable recycled concrete product that reduces waste and performs reliably, with Wuhan Geoyuan Geotechnical lined up as the end user.

OPPORTUNITIES

Government and industry grants focused on sustainable construction

Opens up new ways to use construction waste, reducing landfill and supporting circular economy goals

Contribution to improved building standards and practices for recycled materials

Strong potential for collaboration with engineering firms, construction companies and environmental agencies

Impact through the development of a durable product ready for market use

AS SEEN AT

International Conference on Fire Safety Engineering Research and Practice (ICFSERP-2024)

AS SEEN IN

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 442, 25 February 2024, 141006. Hanbing Zhao, Yong Hu, Yunan Li, Kejin Wang, Frank Dehn, Wengui Li, “Triaxial Compressive Performance of Recycled Aggregate/Glass Sand Concrete: Experimental Study and Mechanism Analysis.”