Full Characterization of Self-Compacting Concrete Containing Recycled Aggregates and Limestone

This work deals with the study of self-compacting concretes (SCCs) containing recycled aggregates (RAs) recovered from demolition waste and limestone filler as a partial replacement for natural aggregates (NAs) and cement, respectively. Four mix designs were developed and characterized in both the fresh and hardened states. In the fresh state, the properties studied included slump, sieve stability, and t(500) viscosity. In the hardened state, the properties studied were compressive strength and porosity at 15 h and 28 days, thermogravimetric analysis, and durability tests involving freeze–thaw cycles and accelerated carbonation. The results indicate the RAs lead to a decrease in slump flow. However, the substitution rate of aggregate replacement does not affect the compressive strength. This can be attributed to the optimized mix design, resulting in all SCC mixtures achieving the same compressive strength class of 30–35 MPa. As for the durability tests, the incorporation of recycled aggregates modifies the behavior of the concrete during freeze–thaw cycles. Throughout the 300 freeze–thaw cycles, all concrete mixtures exhibited a mass loss accompanied by a slight strain increase, but the materials remained visually intact. Additionally, the carbonation depth is strongly influenced by the rate of aggregate replacement due to changes in the microstructure, particularly in porosity.