Producing Green Concrete by Using Recycled Materials in UAE

Abstract

Concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials. The materials used in the preparation of concrete mix have harmful effects on the earth’s environment. For instance, each ton of cement produces 709 kg of CO2 in the middle east. UAE produced 40.7 million tons of cement in 2014. On the other hand, the high demand for aggregate in concrete (48.3 billion tons in 2015) due to the increase in buildings causes a reduction in natural resources. Moreover, the growth of the demolition landfills is a serious problem that needs a solution as well. Therefore, the main aim of this research is to check the efficiency of using the demolition waste within the concrete mix and produce environmentally friendly concrete which has a cost efficiency as well. In this study, replacement of cement and the natural aggregates used in concrete by Recycled Coarse Aggregate (RCA) and Ceramic Waste Powder (CWP) took a place. It is worth mentioning that these recycled materials are produced daily in UAE. An experimental test was conducted to produce a new concrete product of 100% RCA as replacement of coarse aggregate, 20% CWP as replacement of cement and 20% CWP as replacement of fine aggregate. Then, the mechanical properties together with the cost of the new product were estimated. It was confirmed by this research that the demolition waste generated in the UAE can be efficiently used to obtain high strength, low cost, and green concrete.