Portland cement concrete has shown great potential for recycling different waste materials. Solid waste incorporated concrete (SWC) is considered to have positive environmental advantages. However, the utilization of solid wastes may negatively impact the mechanical performance and durability of concrete. Therefore, any change in the performance metrics of SWC should be accounted for in the comparative life cycle assessment (LCA). This article will review the functional equivalency with respect to the mechanical performance and durability metrics for SWC incorporating four main streams of solid wastes; recycled concrete aggregate, municipal solid waste incineration ashes, scrap tire rubber, and polyethylene terephthalate. It will be shown that while in most cases, SWC may have an inferior compressive strength and/or durability pre-treatment, sorting, and appropriate replacement rate of the solid wastes may solve the problem and make SWC functionally equal to the conventional concrete. Moreover, some types of SWC such as those incorporating scrap tire rubber and polyethylene terephthalate may be more advantageous if used in specific applications where dynamic loads are prevalent given their superior impact resistance. Finally, the article will discuss new insights into defining the functional unit based on the performance and application of SWC to conduct a reliable LCA.

This research studies the use of a fractional coarse aggregate replacement product (PA). PA is a unique blend comprised of recycled plastics, glass, and minerals; all collected from the waste stream. The use of PA and other similar products may contribute to reducing plastic waste in the waste stream. To test the feasibility of PA as a partial, natural aggregate replacement, four different mixtures of concrete were batched and tested. The concrete mixtures were based on the standard commercial interior normal-weight concrete mixture. This is a non-air-entrained mixture, provided by a local concrete batching plant (MCM), with a design strength of 4000 psi (27.6 MPa). The four concrete mixtures tested were a control mixture with no variations to the original mixture design as well as three mixtures with 15%, 30%, and 45% coarse aggregate replacement by volume. The compression strength, tensile splitting strength, modulus of rupture, and density of the concrete are examined. The focus of the paper is the concrete compressive strength because it is the primary determining factor in concrete design. Fresh concrete properties and hardened concrete properties were examined and recorded. Slight changes to the overall fresh concrete properties of workability, density, and slump were recorded. The hardened concrete properties include compression, tensile splitting, and modulus of rupture. The results of the compression tests show a strength proportionally decreased with the percent increase in PA replacement – 15% replacement with an 18.1% decrease, 30% replacement with a 35.6% decrease, and a 45% replacement indicated a 45.3% decrease at the 28-day test. The results of the tensile splitting tests and modulus of rupture tests both indicate similar results of a decrease in strength as the replacement rate of PA increased.

Concrete has played a pivotal role in shaping the modern world’s infrastructure and the built environment. Its unparalleled versatility, durability, and structural integrity have made it indispensable in the construction industry. From skyscrapers to long-span bridges, water reservoirs, dams, and highways, the ubiquitous presence of concrete in modern society underscores its significance in global development. As we stand at the crossroads of environmental awareness and the imperative to advance our societies, the sustainability of concrete production and utilization is becoming a new engineering paradigm. The immense demand for concrete, driven by urbanization and infrastructure development, has prompted a critical examination of its environmental impact. One of the most pressing concerns is the substantial carbon footprint associated with traditional concrete production. The production of cement, a key ingredient in concrete, is a notably energy-intensive process that releases a significant amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. As concrete remains unparalleled in its ability to provide structural functionality, disaster resilience, and containment of hazardous materials, the demand for concrete production is increasing, while at the same time, the industry is facing the urgency to mitigate its ecological consequences. This special publication investigates the multi-faceted realm of concrete sustainability, exploring the interplay between its engineering properties, environmental implications, and novel solutions, striving to provide an innovative and holistic perspective. In recent years, the concrete industry has witnessed a surge of innovation and research aimed at revolutionizing its sustainability. An array of cutting-edge technologies and methodologies has emerged, each offering promise in mitigating the environmental footprint of concrete. Notably, the integration of supplementary cementitious materials, such as calcined clays and other industrial byproducts, has gained traction to reduce cement content while enhancing concrete performance. Mix design optimization, coupled with advanced admixtures, further elevates the potential for creating durable, strong, and eco-friendly concrete mixtures. Concrete practitioners will gain an advanced understanding of a wide variety of strategies that are readily implementable and oftentimes associated with economic savings and durability enhancement from reading these manuscripts. The incorporation of recycled materials, such as crushed concrete and reclaimed aggregates, not only reduces waste but also lessens the demand for virgin resources. Furthermore, the adoption of efficient production techniques, along with the exploration of carbon capture and utilization technologies, presents an optimistic path forward for the industry. This special publication aspires to contribute to the ongoing discourse on concrete sustainability, offering insights, perspectives, and actionable pathways toward a more environmentally conscious future.

The huge quantity of natural aggregates extracted every year and used in the concrete industry is causing harmful consequences on biodiversity, water turbidity, water table level and landscape, and global warming as well. In this context, many studies focused on the possibility to use waste tyre recycled aggregates as partial replacement for stone aggregates in concrete production. Generally, it has been observed that several mechanical properties, such as compressive strength and modulus of elasticity, significantly decrease when rubber content is increased. On the other hand, rubberized concrete (RuC) showed a more ductile behavior than ordinary Portland cement concrete, in addition to a greater damping and energy dissipation capacity. In this paper, the compressive and flexural strength, water permeability, and thermal conductivity of five concrete mixtures with increasing percentages of rubber particles as a partial replacement for natural aggregates have been investigated. As a result, a reduction in compressive strength has been observed only in RuC mixtures with substitutions greater than 12% of the total aggregates, whereas the flexural strength remained roughly constant. Moreover, the results of water permeability and thermal conductivity tests showed respectively a decrease in water penetration and an improvement of the concrete thermal isolation due to the presence of rubber particles.

Sustainable development and circular economy policies currently prioritize the recovery of industrial waste and rubble as secondary raw materials. Concrete and demolition waste's (CDW) fine fractions of concrete nature are bringing special attention due to their accumulation, subject to weather conditions, and without any industrial application at present. These wastes have little pozzolanic activity, which is why it is necessary to combine them with other active additions for the ternary cements manufacture. At present, a laminar glass waste from the deconstruction has been selected to obtain the binary mixture. A binary mixture of pozzolan recycled concrete/glass with a 1:2 ratio has been prepared to evaluate the synergy of both wastes in the pozzolanic reaction, and its possible commercialization for future ternary cements that are more sustainable. The characterization of materials and reaction kinetics mainly in the ternary pastes have been characterized by XRF, ICP/MS, NMR, FTIR, XRD-Rietveld, and SEM/EDX, detecting calcite, quartz, mica, feldspar, and clay minerals and as hydrated phases ettringite, aluminates and C-S-H gels. According to these results, it can be highlighted that from the scientific point of view, this mixture of pozzolans from CDWs is viable for use as ecoefficient pozzolans for the more sustainable ternary cements.