Quality improvement of recycled concrete aggregate using polymers

<p>Crushed concrete is one of the main resources for sustainable material. As this material should not be wasted, this research aims to assess the reuse of crushed concrete material as a resource of sustainable construction material. In this thesis, two types of polymer were mixed with crushed concrete to improve its fragmentation resistance, water absorption, and permeability. Water base polymer is an eco-friendly and cost-effective material, which has been used frequently to improve the quality of crushed concrete. This thesis contributes to the improvement of crushed concrete performance by improving the aggregate properties when it is mixed with a polymer, so the properties will compare favorably with the natural aggregate properties especially at water observation and fragmentation resistance. The research includes using different polymer types with different ratios to be mixed with recycled aggregate concrete and applying sets of experiments such as the Los Angeles (LA) abrasion test, permeability, and water absorption test. In addition, the research compares results with regular aggregate properties. Results of the research showed that the polymer has a significant effect on recycled concrete and it improves its properties from low-quality material to be close enough to the natural aggregate properties. Research results encourage the reuse of crushed concrete when mixed with the polymer material instead of using the natural expensive aggregate material. Based on the results of this thesis, highway concrete material can be crushed on site and mixed with the polymer material and used again, saving time and cost. The use of the polymer reduced the waste of crushed concrete under the traffic load.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Open Access Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

College of Engineering and Technology

Year dc:date.available

2018

Author dc:creator

• Abdrabbou, Ahmed Ali

Contributors dc:contributor

• Kasim A. Korkmaz, Ph.D.
• James Stein, Ph.D
• Suleiman Ashur, Ph.D.

• Civil engineering
• Engineering
• Natural resource management

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.emich.edu/theses/1154

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.emich.edu:theses-2491