Influence of treatment of recycled aggregate on the mechanical performance of concrete blocks

The environmental pollution and unrestrained consumption of natural resources have become the subject of research. In this context, the construction industry has been contributing, for example, with the reinsertion of construction and demolition waste (CDW) as aggregates in concrete. Thus, this research aimed to verify the influence of the treatment of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) on the mechanical performance of concrete blocks. For this, concrete blocks with five different compositions were produced, one being a reference with natural aggregates and four replacing 50% and 100% of the natural coarse aggregate by RCA and RCA treated with Portland cement. The water absorption and compressive strength tests were performed. It was observed that the RCA treatment reduced the water absorption and increased the mechanical performance of the concrete blocks. Thus, the treatment of RCA with Portland cement is a viable alternative for the reuse of CDW in civil construction.