Fracture Mechanics of Concrete using Recycled Concrete Aggregate

Worldwide, cities generate about 1.3 billion Tonnes of solid waste per year. Building materials account for about half of all materials used and about half the solid waste generated worldwide. The waste, generated in the construction, maintenance, repair and disposal phases of a building, is called Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste. Management of C&D waste is a problem faced not only in India but by the global community and quantum of waste produced occupies a huge fraction of the total solid waste generation by mass. Furthermore, a continued environmental awareness instigates the pressure for reuse of construction materials instead of classifying them as waste materials. Using construction waste material as an aggregate for developing new concrete product is technically viable and may, in some circumstances, be environmentally beneficial. The recent government initiative to stop sand mining insists the need to recycle, reuse and substitute natural aggregates in order to ensure environmental sustainability. This research work aims at making one such experiment where recycled aggregates are produced from C&D waste thus paves a way, for the effective management of concrete debris.