Gypsum residues in fine recycled aggregates: effects on mechanical and microstructural properties of cementitious composites

Fine recycled aggregates are an important waste stream coming from the demolition of old concrete structures. They are up to now not valorized because of an increased water absorption, lower density and higher fines content compared to natural aggregates. Moreover, they often have a high sulfate concentration. These sulfates could have originated from plaster in a demolished building, or from the residual cement that is commonly present in these materials. The sulfate level of recycled aggregates is recommended to stay under 0.2 mass% by standard EN206, to limit the risk on sulfate attack: the reaction between cement components, water and sulfates results in the formation of expansive minerals such as ettringite. This expansion can eventually lead to cracking of the material and a general loss in mechanical performances.

Fine recycled aggregates from recycling plants did contain 0.15 to 0.80 % of sulfates which is more than allowed, but these amounts did not cause any swelling or degradation when the aggregates were incorporated into mortars. A very elevated sulfate content of 3 % was needed to observe significant expansion, and even this level of contamination could be mitigated by increasing the alkalinity of a mix. Concretes made with varying sulfate levels either expanded or they didn’t: the absolute swelling amount was not proportional to its sulfate content. The actual threshold concentration that started the swelling reaction was dependant on the type of coarse aggregate. The results of this study provide recommendations for the use of fine recycled aggregates contaminated with gypsum residues: a sulfate content of at least 0.3 % could be possible, and even more if certain parameters and mix compositions can be adjusted accordingly. The current limit of 0.2 % seems too strict and hinders the valorization of fine recycled aggregates in high quality construction applications.