Durability of concrete produced with coarse aggregate from red ceramic waste

ABSTRACT The use of ceramic waste in concrete can be evaluated as a viable action in favor of sustainability in the construction industry. However, it is necessary, the study of the physical and mechanical properties of the concrete made with residue, guaranteeing the safety and the recovery of the useful life of the buildings. In this sense, this work evaluated the production of concrete materials with aggregates derived from concrete residues in the armed plane. In order to achieve this, a gradual change of the natural high yield was introduced by the red ceramic process at 40 and 100% substitution by volume. Carbonation, absorption by capillary permeation, air permeability and penetration of chlorides were obtained for the verification of durability, as well as a record of their mechanical properties, especially axial compression strength. The results showed lower permeability for the concretes with the ceramic and, consequently, lower chloride attack and carbonation for mixtures with up to 40% ceramic waste, which suggests, therefore, that the elements executed with these alternative blends are less prone to corrosion of the reinforcements. The analysis by scanning electron microscopy evidenced a reduction in the diameter of the capillary pores, as a result of the better hydration of the cement phase through the phenomenon known as internal cure, provided by the use of the ceramic aggregate, also reducing the thickness of the interfacial transition zone between the aggregate and the cement matrix.