The Production of Sustainable Concrete with the Use of Alternative Aggregates: A Review

Abstract

The concrete industry is a core element of the building sector, but it has to deal with the increasing attention on the environmental issues related to the production process: increasing energy efficiency and the adoption of alternative fuels or raw materials represent the most relevant solutions. The present work analyses physical, mechanical, and environmental performances of concrete incorporating residues derived from four main sources (construction and demolition waste, residues from waste treatment, metallurgical industry by-products, and others), as substitutes of either fine or coarse aggregates. Fine aggregates showed the highest number of alternatives and replacement level, with the relevant impact on concrete properties; coarse aggregates, however, always reach a complete replacement, with the exclusion of glass that highly affects the mechanical performance. Construction and metallurgical industry categories are the main sources of alternative materials for both the components, with ceramic and lead slag reaching a full replacement for fine and coarse aggregates.

Studying the C–H Crystals and Mechanical Properties of Sustainable Concrete Containing Recycled Coarse Aggregate with Used Nano-Silica

“…Some research has shown that the use of recycled aggregate in concrete not only has social benefits but also creates a sustainable concrete structure. Sustainability factors include conserving energy and natural resources, reducing adverse effects on the environment, saving construction costs, reducing waste storage space [6][7][8]. Recycled aggregates are produced by separating degraded concrete parts from other unwanted materials and crushing them with appropriate grading [9,10].…”

Sustainable Valorisation of Silane-Treated Waste Glass Powder in Concrete Pavement

“…Many materials were used in concrete pavement as alternatives for cementitious binders, such as fly ash and geopolymers and recycled aggregates and rubber as alternatives for virgin aggregate [23][24][25][26][27][28][29]. Moreover, glass waste was one of the materials that was widely used as an alternative for both cement and aggregate in concrete [30][31][32][33][34]. In addition, glass waste was implemented as an eco-alternative to aggregates in asphalt mixtures in most of the flexible pavement layers, especially in the lower, coarser layers [35][36][37].…”

Foam Glass Lightened Sorel’s Cement Composites Doped with Coal Fly Ash

“…A standard concrete mix is composed of approx. 80–85% of natural raw aggregate depending on the targeted material characteristics [ 45 ]. With the global use of concrete amounting up to 20 billion tons annually [ 46 ], consumption of aggregate could be around 16 to 17 billion tons.…”