Reusing Ceramic Waste as a Fine Aggregate and Supplemental Cementitious Material in the Manufacture of Sustainable Concrete

Abstract

A viable strategy for promoting sustainable development and a cleaner environment is the reuse of demolition-related ceramic waste and ceramic manufacturing byproducts in the production of concrete. The purpose of this study is to assess the possibilities for using ceramic waste in the production of concrete as a fine aggregate and cementitious material. The effectiveness of concrete mixtures incorporating 20–100% ceramic waste fine (CWF) as a replacement for natural fine aggregate and 10–30% ceramic waste powder (CWP) in place of cement was evaluated. Their influence was assessed with respect to workability, mechanical performance, durability, and elevated temperature resistance. The results were analyzed via energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The findings illustrated that the increase in the replacement levels of CWP and CWF decreases the concrete workability. The mechanical performance of concrete mixtures is enhanced under compression and flexural tests as the replacement ratios of CWF and CWP increase up to 50% and 10% as replacements of sand and cement, respectively. The increases in compressive and flexural strength were 5.33% and 8.14%, respectively, at age 28 days. The concrete water permeability significantly increases as the CWF replacement ratio increases, and the incorporation of CWP reduces this negative impact. After exposure to 200, 400, 600, and 800 °C, the residual compressive strengths of concrete mixtures incorporating CWF and CWP were up to 95.02%, 89.66%, 74.33%, and 51.34%, respectively, compared to control mixtures, which achieved 84.25%, 76.03%, 59.36%, and 35.84% of their initial strength. Microstructure analysis revealed that combining CWP and CWF significantly improves cement hydration when compared to the reference mixture. Thus, the use of CWF and CWP in the production of masonry mortar might be an economical alternative that would aid in raising the recycling rate of demolition and construction debris and supporting sustainable growth in the building sector.