An Evaluative Review of Recycled Waste Material Utilization in High-Performance Concrete

The disposal of waste materials and their adverse effects on the environment have become a worldwide concern, disturbing the fragile ecological equilibrium. With growing awareness of sustainability in the construction industry, it is of great importance to recycle waste materials for producing high-performance concrete (HPC). This aligns with the twelfth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of the United Nations, emphasizing responsible production and consumption, especially concerning the production of HPC using waste materials and energy-efficient methods. The review evaluates the purposeful utilization of recycled waste materials to improve the engineering characteristics of HPC, taking into consideration pertinent literature. It encompasses a comparative evaluation of strength development, water absorption, microstructures, and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of HPC manufactured with different types of recycled waste materials. The key result of the review showed that using incinerated bottom ash (IBA) below 25% and incorporating 40% copper slag can enhance HPC’s mechanical performance. Additionally, recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) can replace up to 50% of conventional aggregate in self-compacting HPC with minimal impact on durability properties. In HPC cement substitution research, fly ash, silica fume, and metakaolin are prominent due to their availability, with fly ash showing remarkable durability when used as a 15% cement replacement. This thorough review offers valuable insights for optimizing the utilization of recycled waste materials in the development of environmentally friendly HPC. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-11-020 Full Text: PD

Strength and Chemical Characterization of Ultra High-Performance Geopolymer Concrete: A Coherent Evaluation

The objective of this review article is to analyze published data encompassing compressive strength, tensile strength, elastic modulus, and flexural strength, as well as the utilization of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and x-ray diffraction (XRD) for Ultra High-Performance Geopolymer Concrete (UHP-GC), with the focus of establishing the current research trends regarding its mechanical, microstructural, and chemical characteristics. After a critical evaluation of the published data from the literature findings, it became evident that UHP-GC can attain a remarkably high level of engineering performance. In UHP-GC, the optimum percentage of silica fume as a slag partial replacement to achieve high compression, tensile, and elastic modulus were traced to be 25, 30, and 35%, respectively. The optimum ratio of sodium silicate to sodium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide molarity for UHP-GC were identified to be 3.5 and 16, respectively. All in all, the review provides a thorough understanding of the review gap and distinct functions of different raw materials in decreasing porosity and enhancing the formation of geopolymeric gels that not only bond but also strengthen UHP-GC. UHP-GC stands as an energy-saving material in concrete technology, poised to forge a path towards a sustainable future for the building sector. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-12-020 Full Text: PD