Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Recycled Concrete with Artificial Sand

Abstract

With the rapid development of the global construction industry, not only a large amount of construction waste has been derived, but also a growing shortage of natural sand resources emerges. Aiming at the above problems, this study uses waste concrete and artificial sand as recycled coarse and fine aggregates to form a new type of recycled concrete. 135 standard cubes and prismatic test blocks were produced. Concrete mixtures were prepared with recycled concrete aggregate and artificial sand to fully replace natural aggregates. This study investigates the mechanical properties of recycled concrete containing artificial sand and polypropylene fibers. Polypropylene fiber content varied from 0-1.5% by mass. Experimental results showed the addition of fibers enhanced the compressive strength and ductility. The optimum fiber dosage was 0.6% for strength gain. However, elastic modulus decreased with increasing fiber content due to increased porosity. The findings demonstrate the feasibility of recycled concrete with artificial sand and polypropylene fibers as an environmentally-friendly construction material.

Keywords

• artificial sand
• mechanical properties
• polypropylene fibre
• recycled concrete