Properties of recycled aggregate concrete designed with equivalent mortar volume mix design

•Effect of the equivalent mortar volume (EMV) mix design is discussed.•The EMV method improves the properties of recycled aggregate concrete.•The use of EMV method leads to savings in raw materials.•Environmental pollution can be mitigated with the EMV mix design. Due to the adhered mortar attached to recycled aggregate, the volume of mortar in recycled aggregate concrete is larger than that of natural aggregate concrete, while the volume of aggregate is smaller. Changes in the ratio of the raw materials constituting concrete may be responsible for the deterioration of the properties of recycled aggregate concrete, but it can be controlled by the equivalent mortar volume mix design method, which considers the adhered mortar in recycled aggregate as a mortar rather than an aggregate. Therefore, this paper provides a literature review on the properties of recycled aggregate concrete designed by the equivalent mortar volume method, which is one of the novel mix designs for recycled aggregate concrete. Starting with the fresh properties such as slump, density, and air content of concrete, the mechanical properties and durability performance of hardened concrete are discussed. It also provides insight into the environmental benefits of the mix design.