Advancing sustainable concrete through the use of recycled aggregates for low-carbon and circular construction
Wadhah M. TAWFEEQ, Waleed AHMED, Hajar AL-JADEEDI, Fatema AL-MAAMARI, Maryam AL-BALUSHI, Jamilla AL-SHIHHI
Abstract. This study addresses the growing problem of construction and demolition waste, which has increased significantly over recent years due to rapid urbanization and infrastructure development. Such waste contributes to the depletion of natural resources and the scarcity of conventional building materials. To mitigate these issues, this research examines the use of recycled aggregates, sourced from various construction waste streams, as partial or full replacements for natural aggregates in concrete construction. The primary objective is to evaluate the effect of various types and replacement ratios of recycled aggregates on the compressive strength of concrete mixes. In this study, the coarse aggregates were substituted in varying proportions and particle sizes, and their performance was compared. The experimental program involved casting multiple concrete specimens using recycled interlock pavers, recycled blocks, and recycled tiles as coarse aggregates. Compressive strength tests were conducted at curing ages of 7 and 28 days. Results indicate that incorporating recycled interlock pavers as coarse aggregate yielded the highest compressive strength among all tested materials, reaching 28.33 MPa after 7 days and 37.33 MPa after 28 days. In contrast, using recycled block material at a 100% replacement level resulted in significantly lower strength values, with 14.63 MPa at 7 days and 23.37 MPa at 28 days. These findings suggest that the type and quality of recycled aggregate have a significant impact on the mechanical performance of concrete. The study highlights the potential of selecting appropriate recycled materials to produce sustainable, high-performance concrete while reducing environmental impacts.
Keywords
Recycled Aggregate, Compressive Strength, Sustainable Concrete, Mechanical Properties, Slump
Published online 6/20/2026, 8 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Wadhah M. TAWFEEQ, Waleed AHMED, Hajar AL-JADEEDI, Fatema AL-MAAMARI, Maryam AL-BALUSHI, Jamilla AL-SHIHHI, Advancing sustainable concrete through the use of recycled aggregates for low-carbon and circular construction, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 67, pp 768-775, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904176-106
The article was published as article 106 of the book Climate Action and Sustainability
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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