Recycled Etna volcanic ash for cement, mortar and concrete manufacturing

The paper discusses the results of an original experimental research program focusing on the evaluation of the possible re-use of volcanic pyroclastic deposits on the public space generated by Mt. Etna eruptions. The possibilities of using the finer fraction of the recycled material as binder in partial replacement of cement and using the fine and coarse material as recycled aggregate in mortar and concrete production are investigated. The main mechanical properties of mortar and concrete with different percentage of substitution of the natural aggregates with recycled volcanic aggregates are determined. The results show that while the recycling of volcanic pyroclastic deposits as aggregates is feasible, their application in cement production is not practicable, due to poor pozzolanic behavior.