Propriedades de agregados reciclados carbonatados para aplicação em concreto

Abstract

Concrete is a material obtained by mixing raw materials such as cement, aggregates and water, and its per capita utilization is only behind water. Due to its large volume of use, it presents itself as a growing generator of waste and waste in civil construction. From the need to minimize these impacts on the environment with the possibility of reuse of concrete residues, transforming them into recycled concrete aggregates (ARGC). These materials are presented with high water absorption capacity and low specific mass. An alternative to improve this feature is the use of accelerated carbonation, which acts through the pores of the mortar adhered to the natural aggregate, producing carbonate elements that reduce the water absorption capacity and increase the specific mass. The objective of this research is to analyze the properties of the carbonated ARGC for concrete application. For this, a chamber was used in which the ARGC were submitted to concentrations of carbon dioxide. From the verification of the impact of carbonation on the samples, analyzed in mineralogical, thermal, microscopic and physical characterization tests, using as determinant impact value of the process, the capacity of absorption and specific mass, it was developed the reproduction of the carbonation parameters In scale for concrete production. They were produced: a reference concrete, with aggregates without carbonation, and their properties were compared with the samples of concrete with carbonated CGA, and analyzed its properties in fresh and hardened state. The ARGC presented, in its non-carbonated form, high absorption and low density, when compared to the natural aggregate, in contrast carbonation modified this picture with the formation of expansive products based on carbonates, which decreased the water absorption capacity and increased The density of carbonated ARGC when compared to untreated ARGC. Carbonation through the chamber proved to be an efficient method in this process, reflecting the behavior of the ARGC, which showed a decrease of 16.5% in the absorption capacity, a 1.53% increase in the specific mass and the formation of carbonates between the pores Of the ARGC. The concretes presented fluid abatement, mechanical strength of 25 MPa at 28 days and a mean carbonation depth of 12 mm.