Addition of quartzite residues on mortars: Analysis of the alkali aggregate reaction and the mechanical behavior

•Mortars containing more than 80% of quartzite wastes were produced.•No other study focused on the potentiality of ASR of quartzite waste.•Alkalis in the wastes do not react with silica in mortars containing pozzolan.

The recycling of ornamental rock residues for use in mortars has been a widespread technique throughout the world. However, most studies do not verify if these residues, used as aggregates, can maintain their integrity when subjected to the action of aggressive agents. This work has the objective of studying the recycling of the quartzite residue in mortars with focus on the alkali-aggregate reaction and their mechanical behavior. We characterized the quartzite residues and executed the accelerated mortar bar test according to the ASTM C1260. The results reveal that these are non-reactive when incorporated into mortar and presented suitable mechanical behavior.