Analysis of the Effects of Aggressive Environments Simulating Municipal Sewage on Recycled Concretes Based on Selected Ceramic Waste

This paper presents the results of research aimed at finding the possible ways of disposing of ceramic waste material, focusing mainly on the possibility of using it as aggregates in concretes exposed to an aggressive chemical environment (municipal sewage). The research part presents the preparation method and investigation of waste ceramic aggregates (red, glazed and sanitary ceramic aggregates). A suitable ratio of coarse to fine aggregates was selected, and their density, absorptivity and crushing strength were examined. All examined aggregates were also subjected to SEM analysis. Red ceramic aggregate is characterized by a greater degree of crushing compared to glazed and sanitary ceramic aggregate, by 205.7% and 439.4%, respectively. Another part of the research was to compare the properties of concrete with traditional aggregate (gravel, basalt) and with ceramic waste aggregate. The tested parameters included consistency, apparent density, absorptivity, flexural and compressive strengths of concretes. The study proved that the absorptivity of recycled composites is higher than that of traditional composites by 20.8–24.7%. The concrete based on sanitary ceramic waste has the highest strength parameters. Its compressive strength is higher by 10.5% and flexural strength by 5.9% compared with the basalt aggregate concrete. The compressive strength of sanitary ceramics concrete is higher by 42% and by 59% compared with concrete based on glazed ceramic and red ceramic aggregate, respectively. The last part of the research was to examine the resistance of concrete to aggressive environment. The scope of the work included the preparation of the research environment in the form of solutions with an increased concentration of aggressive agents (hydronium, sulfate, magnesium, ammonium ions). Among the concretes with ceramic aggregate, the highest decrease in the compressive strength was demonstrated by the concrete based on red ceramics (128.2%), while the smallest was demonstrated by the concrete based on sanitary ceramics (aggregate from sanitary ceramics (15.4%). The mass loss at different time intervals and compressive strength loss of samples stored in solutions were tested. The smallest weight loss caused by aggressive environment attack was recorded in the concrete based on ceramic sanitary and glazed aggregate (20.2% and 34.5%, respectively, after 120 days of aggressive environment).