Building waste: management and using in the production of mortar and concrete

Abstract

The construction industry has a great potential for reusing its own waste. Reaching consume up to 75% of natural resources and 44% of the energy produced in the country. Recycling is an important solution to solve the problems of residuals generated by the construction and also by other industries, which diminishes the consumption of non-renewable resources and the areas for disposal. In order to return the residual into the productive chain, a certain treatment is necessary. Among them, crushing the residual would allow it to be used as a concrete aggregate. However, due to the great variability of the residual composition, this material is seldom used in concrete production. To enforce the argument, the Brazilian standards only allow its use in non-structural concrete elements. The objective of this work is to assess the residuals management of the construction industry in the metropolitan region of Campinas and apply the concept of reverse logistics, assessing the potentials of reusing it into the construction productive chain itself, whether in reinforced concrete or mortar. Thus, the residuals from several recycling units from the metropolitan region of Campinas, will be analyzed, aiming to properly reuse them as aggregate, depending on their characteristics. The properties of the cementitious composites produced will be evaluated to verify the viability of their use in mortars and in structural concrete. It is expected to obtain consistent data about the characteristics of recycled aggregates produced by various companies in the region and facilitate its application, expanding the use of these aggregates in construction. (AU)