Objectives

The global objectives of the project were:

• Providing a sustainable solution to the precast rejects of the Opway group;
• The reduction of the consumption of natural resources of the Opway Group;
• The reduction of the costs of the Opway group caused by landfill disposals and acquisition of natural resources;
• Contributing to the state-of-the-art knowledge of recycled aggregates concrete by conducting exhaustive and innovative experiments;
• To raise awareness in the construction sector towards the applicability of recycled aggregates concrete on structural solutions.

The project was divided in two different tasks: one concerning the tests on the recycled aggregates and the material, mechanical, and durability properties of the recycled aggregates concretes (Task 1), and another related to the behaviour of the structures (Task 2). The specific objectives of each task were:
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Task 1 - Evaluation of concrete properties

• Study of the physical properties of the natural and recycled aggregates (grading, shape index and resistance to wear);
• Definition of the four concrete mixtures that were thoroughly studied in the remaining campaign;
• Evaluation of the physical properties and workability of the four concrete mixtures;
• Study of the mechanical properties of the concrete mixtures produced in laboratory conditions and onsite and comparison of both environments (pioneer study);
• Study of the durability (water absorption, carbonation and chloride ingresses) on the concrete mixtures;
• Benchmark with the international state-of-the-art.

Task 2 - Structural behaviour on full-scale structures

• Provide pioneer state-of-the-art knowledge concerning recycled aggregates concrete structures: first dynamic characterization tests and first static nonlinear horizontal analysis on recycled aggregates concrete structures, as well as first experiments on full-scale recycled aggregates concrete structures;
• Evaluation of natural frequencies and global deformability of recycled aggregates concrete structures;
• Assess whether the incorporation of recycled aggregates concrete has a more significant effect than execution conditions in common construction environments;
• Study of the ductility and nonlinear behaviour of recycled aggregates concrete structures;
• Evaluation whether the use of the Eurocodes as well as of common numerical and algebraic calculation methods result in predictable and appropriately designed recycled aggregates concrete structures.