Recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) are used in existing green building composites to promote the environmental preservation of natural coarse aggregates (NCA). Besides, the use of RCA leads to potential solutions to the social and economic problems caused by concrete waste. It is found that insufficient information on the longevity and sustainability of RCA production is a serious issue that requires close attention due to its impact on changing aspects of the sector. However, more attention has been paid to explaining the effect of RCA on concrete durability, as well as the properties of fresh and hardened concrete. Therefore, this study aims to provide a critical review on the RCAs for the production of high-performances concrete structures. It begins by reviewing the source, originality, types, prediction of service life, features and properties of RCA, as well as the effect of RCA on concrete performance. In addition, this literature review summarizes the research findings to produce complete insights into the potential applications of RCA as raw, renewable, and sustainable building materials for producing greener concrete composite towards industrializing ecofriendly buildings today. Further, it has also highlighted the differences in the current state of knowledge between RCAs and NCAs, and offers several future research suggestions. Through this critical and analytical study, it can be said that RCA has the possible use in the production of high-performance structural concrete depending on the source and type of recycled aggregate while the RCA can be used widely and safely to produce traditional green concrete.

Ultra-high performance (UHP) concrete is a special type of fibrous cementitious composite that is characterized by high strength and superior ductility, toughness, and durability. This research aimed to investigate the resistance of ultra-high performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) against repeated impacts. An adjusted repeated drop mass impact test was adopted to evaluate the impact performance of 72 UHPFRC disc specimens. The specimens were divided into six mixtures each of 12 discs. The only difference between the mixtures was the types of fibers used, while all other mixture components were the same. Three types of fibers were used: 6 mm micro-steel, 15 mm micro-steel, and polypropylene. All mixtures included 2.5% volumetric content of fibers, however with different combinations of the three fiber types. The test results showed that the mixtures with the 15 mm micro-steel fiber absorbed a higher number of impact blows until cracking compared to other mixtures. The mixture with pure 2.5% of 15 mm micro-steel fiber exhibited the highest impact resistance, with percentage increases over the other mixtures ranging from 25 to 140%. In addition, the Weibull distribution was used to investigate the cracking impact resistance of UHP at different levels of reliability.

Concrete is the most common building material; therefore, when designing structures, it is obligatory to consider all structural parameters and design characteristics such as acoustic properties. In particular, this is to ensure comfortable living conditions for people in residential premises, including acoustic comfort. Different types of concrete behave differently as a sound conductor; especially dense mixtures are superior sound reflectors, and light ones are sound absorbers. It is found that the level of sound reflection in modified concrete is highly dependent on the type of aggregates, size and distribution of pores, and changes in concrete mix design constituents. The sound absorption of acoustic insulation concrete (AIC) can be improved by forming open pores in concrete matrices by either using a porous aggregate or foam agent. To this end, this article reviews the noise and sound transmission in buildings, types of acoustic insulating materials, and the AIC properties. This literature study also provides a critical review on the type of concretes, the acoustic insulation of buildings and their components, the assessment of sound insulation of structures, as well as synopsizes the research development trends to generate comprehensive insights into the potential applications of AIC as applicable material to mitigate noise pollution for increase productivity, health, and well-being.

Quartz sandstone (QS) is a mine waste; therefore, its use in construction allows for both reducing the cost of the concrete and contributing to the utilization of waste. The scientific originality of this study is the identification of models of the effect of QS aggregate on the physicomechanical, durability characteristics, and eco-safety of greener high-strength concrete. The study used an energy-efficient method of non-thermal effects of electromagnetic pulses on the destruction mechanisms of quartz-containing raw materials. The characteristics of quartzite sandstone aggregates, including the natural activity of radionuclides, were comprehensively studied. The features of concrete hardening, including the formation of an interfacial transition zone between the aggregate and the cement matrix, were studied, taking into account the chemical and morphological features of quartzite sandstone. In addition, the microstructural and morphological properties of concrete were determined after a 28 day curing. In this study, the behaviors of the concrete with QS aggregate were investigated, bearing in mind the provisions of geomimetics science on the affinity of structures. The results obtained showed that the QS aggregate had the activity of natural radionuclides 3–4 times lower compared to traditional aggregates. Efficient greener concrete with a 46.3 MPa compressive strength, water permeability grade W14, and freeze–thaw resistance of 300 cycles were also obtained, demonstrating that the performance of this greener concrete was comparable to that of traditional concrete with more expensive granite or gabbro diabase aggregates.

The huge demand for concrete is predicted to upsurge due to rapid construction developments. Environmental worries regarding the large amounts of carbon dioxide emanations from cement production have resulted in new ideas to develop supplemental cementing materials, aiming to decrease the cement volume required for making concrete. Palm-oil-fuel-ash (POFA) is an industrial byproduct derived from palm oil waste’s incineration in power plants’ electricity generation. POFA has high pozzolanic characteristics. It is highly reactive and exhibits satisfactory micro-filling ability and unique properties. POFA is commonly used as a partially-alternated binder to Portland cement materials to make POFA-based eco-efficient concrete to build building using a green material. This paper presents a review of the material source, chemical composition, clean production and short-term properties of POFA. A review of related literature provides comprehensive insights into the potential application of POFA-based eco-efficient concrete in the construction industry today.