The influence of concrete sludge from residual concrete on fresh and hardened cement paste properties

Abstract

In the concrete manufacturing industry, a large amount of waste is generated. Such waste can be utilised in the production of more sustainable products with a low carbon footprint. In this study, concrete sludge, a difficult-to-utilise waste that is obtained from residual concrete by washing a concrete truck, was investigated. During washing, aggregates from the concrete mixture are separated, and the remaining insoluble fine particles combine with water to form concrete sludge. Dried and wet concrete sludge were used in the tests. Samples with different compositions were produced with dried and wet concrete sludge, cement, superplasticiser, and tap water. Seven cement pastes with different compositions were made by partially replacing cement with dried concrete sludge (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30%). In compositions with wet concrete sludge, cement was replaced by the same amounts as in the case of dried concrete sludge. The slump, setting time, and their changes with different amounts of concrete sludge were determined for fresh cement pastes. It was found that with different forms of concrete sludge, the technological properties of the mixtures change, and the setting time decreases. The density and compressive and flexural strength results were confirmed by SEM and XRD tests. The research results show that dry concrete sludge causes the deterioration of the mechanical properties of cement stone, while wet concrete sludge improves the mechanical properties of cement stone. However, it was found that replacing 5% cement with dry concrete sludge does not significantly affect the properties of hardened cement stone. In mixes with wet concrete sludge, the recommended amount of replaced cement is 10%, because the technological properties of the mixture are strongly influenced by larger amounts.