Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Reduction of the cement content in mortars made with fine concrete aggregates

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Materials and Structures Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study’s main objective is to show the viability of reducing the cement content of mortars by incorporating fine crushed concrete aggregates whilst simultaneously maintaining a good performance in terms of functional requisites. The advantages of this, if the results are positive, are both environmental and economic: less energy is consumed in cement manufacture and the mortars’ direct costs are lower. To evaluate the hypothetical binding characteristics of concrete fines incorporated in mortars, and thus allow a cement consumption reduction, various standard tests were performed to quantify their most important properties (e.g. mechanical strength, water-related performance, cracking susceptibility, shrinkage) and compare them with those of a reference mortar containing no recycled fines and not reducing the cement content.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Miranda LFR, Selmo SMS (2006) CDW recycled aggregate renderings: part I—analysis of the effect of materials finer than 75 μm on mortar properties. Constr Build Mater 20(9):615–624

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Braga M, de Brito J, Veiga MR (2012) Incorporation of fine concrete aggregates in mortars. Constr Build Mater 36:960–968

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Alves JD (1983) Compressive strength of mortars and concrete made with cements with additions (in Portuguese). Seminar on concrete strength control, Ibracon

  4. Evangelista L, de Brito J (2007) Mechanical behaviour of concrete made with fine recycled concrete aggregates. Cem Concr Compos 29(5):397–401

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Pereira P, Evangelista L, de Brito J (2012) The effect of superplasticizers on the workability and compressive strength of concrete made with fine recycled concrete aggregates. Constr Build Mater 28(1):722–729

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Oliveira MP, Nóbrega AF, Campos MS, Barbosa NP (2004) Study on the use of calcinated kaolin as replacement of Portland cement (in Portuguese). Brazilian conference on non-conventional materials and technologies: housing and infrastructure of social interest, Pirassununga, pp 377–386

  7. Silva J, de Brito J, Veiga R (2008) Fine ceramics replacing cement in mortars. Partial replacement with fine ceramics in rendering mortars. Mater Struct 41(8):1333–1344

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Silva J, de Brito J, Veiga R (2009) Incorporation of fine ceramics in mortars. Constr Build Mater 23(1):556–564

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Silva J, de Brito J, Veiga R (2010) Recycled red-clay ceramic construction and demolition waste for mortars production. J Mater Civ Eng 22(3):236–244

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Levy SM, Helene P (1997) Advantages and disadvantages of mortars made with finally ground works rubble (in Portuguese). Technical Bulletin, Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo

  11. Geyer ALB, Molin DD, Consoli NC (2000) Recycling of sewage sludge from treatment plants of Porto Alegre city, Brazil, and its use as an addition in concrete. International conference on sustainable construction into the next millennium: environmentally friendly and innovative cement based materials, Federal University of Paraíba/The University of Sheffield, João Pessoa, pp 464–473

  12. Araújo GABC (1995) Contribution to the study of the properties of coating mortars with gravel from the Maceió region (in Portuguese). Master dissertation in Civil Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre

  13. Corinaldesi V, Giuggilini M, Moricomi G (2002) Use of rubble from building demolition in mortars. Waste Manage (Oxford) 22(8):893–899

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Kim YJ, Choi YW (2012) Utilization of waste concrete powder as a substitution material for cement. Constr Build Mater 30:500–504

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  15. Alaejo P, Lobet A, Perez D (2011) Effect of recycled sand content on characteristics of mortars and concretes. J Mater Civ Eng 23(4):414–422

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Chen ZP, Wang N, Zhang SQ, Zheng SF (2011) Experimental study on basic behaviour of recycled fine aggregate mortar. Advanced Materials Research Book Series 168–170, pp 1680–1685

  17. Fragata A, Veiga MR (2010) Air lime mortars: the influence of calcareous aggregate and filler addition. Mater Sci Forum 636–637:1280–1285

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Veiga MR (1998) Performance of rendering mortars in walls—contribution to the study of their resistance to cracking (in Portuguese). PhD dissertation in Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering of the Porto University, Porto

  19. Veiga MR (2005) Performance of façades renderings based on mineral binder (in Portuguese). 1st national congress on construction mortars, APFAC, Lisbon, CD-ROM

  20. Silva VS, Libório JBL, Silva CR (1999) Rendering mortars using pozzolan from calcinated clay (in Portuguese). III Brazilian symposium on mortars technology, Vitória, pp 323–334

  21. Garboczi EJ, Bentz DP (1996) Modelling of the microstruture and transport properties of concrete. Constr Build Mater 10(5):293–300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Malatrait MC (1989) Les échanges liant, eau, air, dans le cas des enduits d’imperméabilisation et décoration de façades. Thèse. CSTB. Paris

  23. Carasek H, Djanikian JG (1997) Adherence of mortars based on Portland cement and masonry elements (in Portuguese). Bulletin PCC 179, São Paulo, pp 1–20

  24. Veiga MR, Velosa A, Magalhães A (2007) Evaluation of mechanical compatibility of renders to apply on old walls based on a restrained shrinkage test. Mater Struct 40:1115–1126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Veiga MR, Abrantes V (1998) Improving the cracking resistance of rendering mortars. Influence of composition factors. Int J Hous Sci Appl 22(4):245–254

    Google Scholar 

  26. Veiga MR (2000) Influence of application conditions on the cracking susceptibility of renderings. RILEM Publications S.A:R.L. Concr Sci Eng 2:134–140

    Google Scholar 

  27. Joisel A (1965) Fisuras y grietas en morteros y hormigones. Sus causas y remedios. Editores Técnicos Asociados S.A., Barcelona

Standards used

  1. Cahier 2669-4 (1993) Certification CSTB des enduits monocouches d′imperméabilisation, “Modalités d′essais”, Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment, Juillet—Août

  2. EN 1015-3, European Standard (1999) Methods of test for mortar for masonry—Part 3: determination of consistence of fresh mortar (by flow table). European Committee for Standardization (CEN)

  3. EN 1015-6, European Standard (1998) Methods of test for mortar for masonry—Part 6: determination of bulk density of fresh mortar. European Committee for Standardization (CEN)

  4. EN 1015-8, European Standard (1999) Methods of test for mortar for masonry—Part 8: determination of water retentivity of fresh mortar. European Committee for Standardization (CEN)

  5. EN 1015-10, European Standard (1999) Methods of test for mortar for masonry—Part 10: determination of dry bulk density of hardened mortar. European Committee for Standardization (CEN)

  6. EN 1015-11, European Standard (1999) Methods of test for mortar for masonry—Part 11: determination of flexural and compressive strength of hardened mortar. European Committee for Standardization (CEN)

  7. EN 1015-12, European Standard (2000) Methods of test for mortar for masonry—Part 12: determination of adhesive strength of hardened rendering and plastering mortars on substrates. European Committee for Standardization (CEN)

  8. EN 1015-18, European Standard (2002) Methods of test for mortar for masonry—Part 18: determination of water absorption coefficient due to capillary action of hardened mortar. European Committee for Standardization (CEN)

  9. EN 1015-19, European Standard (1998) Methods of test for mortar for masonry—Part 19: determination of water vapour permeability of hardened rendering and plastering mortars. European Committee for Standardization (CEN)

  10. FE Pa 37 (1998) Test form—Test of susceptibility to cracking—Coatings of mineral binders for walls (in Portuguese), Portuguese National Laboratory of Civil Engineering (LNEC), Lisbon

  11. NF B 10-511 (1975) Norme Française Homologué, “Mesure du module d′élasticité dynamique”, Association Française de Normalisation (AFNOR), Avril

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. DECivil-IST, Technical University of Lisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001, Lisbon, Portugal

    Mariana Braga & Jorge de Brito

  2. National Laboratory of Civil Engineering (LNEC), Av. do Brasil, Lisbon, Portugal

    Rosário Veiga

Authors
  1. Mariana Braga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jorge de Brito
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rosário Veiga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jorge de Brito.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Braga, M., de Brito, J. & Veiga, R. Reduction of the cement content in mortars made with fine concrete aggregates. Mater Struct 47, 171–182 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-013-0053-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-013-0053-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation