Effect of Variability of Recycled Aggregate on Properties of Concrete

Low, medium and high variability of aggregates of concrete were designed and prepared and the influence of variability of recycled aggregates on the mechanical properties and durability of concretes was investigated. The experimental results indicated that the kinds of strengths, static compressive elastic modulus and durability of recycled concrete were decreased at engineering-acceptable level compared with natural aggregate concrete; the most properties of recycled concrete with high variability of recycled aggregates are not very different from that of recycled concrete with medium variability of recycled aggregates even that of natural aggregate concretes; however, the variability of properties of recycled concrete with high variability of recycled aggregates are much different from that of medium variability of recycled aggregates and more different from that of natural aggregate concretes, which means if only one or limited properties of recycled concrete were tested, the existing high variability of properties of concrete may not be revealed to a full enough extent, and the possible neglect of this high variability may result in potential engineering risk in application of high variability of recycled aggregate; the content of hardened cement paste and mortar attached to the recycled aggregate is found to be the essential factor to influence the properties of recycled concrete.