Long-Term and Durability Properties

Abstract

The long-term properties like shrinkage and creep and the durability properties such as permeability, chloride penetration, and depth of carbonation of recycled aggregate concrete are discussed. The important factors like amount of RA, w/c ratio, residual cement paste significantly affect these long-term properties and are discussed with illustrations in this chapter. The research findings reported by different researchers reveal that both shrinkage and creep of RAC are significantly higher than that of conventional concrete due to the high absorption capacity of RA. But, the incorporation of fly ash in RAC can minimize these to a certain extent, and the results reported by different researchers are described. The research results of various researchers reveal that the durability performance of RAC is more hapless than normal concrete. The poor durability performance of RAC is associated with many factors such as poor quality of RA, the presence of numerous microcracks, the presence of old and new interfacial transition zones, w/c ratio. The influence of these factors on the durability of the performance of RAC in terms of permeability, carbonation, and chloride penetration is discussed in this chapter too.