Transfer Properties in Recycled Aggregates Concrete: Experimental and Numerical Approaches

This paper analyses the influence of Recycled Concrete Aggregates (RCA) on durability
through a study of transfer properties of concrete, using a coupled approach consisting of
experimental testing and numerical modelling.
Experimental tests performed on concrete made from Natural Aggregates (NA) or RCA
conclude that Recycled Aggregate Concrete (RAC) is more porous than its NA-based counterpart.
Its water absorption is also superior while its intrinsic permeability is slightly lower
than regular concrete.
A coupled thermo-hydraulic numerical model, based on non-linear finite elements and constitutive
equations, is developed. These constitutive equations rely on properties determined
experimentally, on concretes made in the laboratory. The results disclose that RAC has a
saturation degree constantly above the one of regular concrete.