Permeability properties of self-compacting concrete with coarse recycled aggregates

• Permeability properties of SCC with 20%, 40% and 100% of coarse recycled aggregates were studied.
• According to the air permeability method applied, the SCC mixtures are considered airtight.
• The recycled coarse aggregate incorporation did not significantly affect the water permeability.
• Water capillarity coefficient is slightly decreased when 100% of coarse recycled aggregate is used.
• Water penetration depth is reduced with the increasing of the recycled aggregate in SCC.

This article addresses to the issue of durability related properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC) with the use of coarse recycled aggregates obtained from demolition of concrete structures. The objective was to verify the influence of recycled aggregates on SCC permeability properties. For this purpose four different types of concrete mixes were produced, one of them used as reference with natural coarse aggregates and the others prepared with 20%, 40% and 100% of recycled coarse aggregates. The properties related to the durability of SCC, as air and water permeability and capillary absorption were determined on concrete specimens with and without preconditioning. The results from fresh and hardened concrete properties lead to the conclusion that it is viable to replace natural coarse aggregates by recycled coarse aggregates since the present research does not show any detrimental to the SCC permeability properties.