IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i4p1506-d1589329.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Using Fines from Recycled High-Quality Concrete as a Substitute for Cement

Author

Listed:
  • Laurena De Brabandere

    (Magnel-Vandepitte Laboratory, Department of Structural Engineering and Building Materials, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Ghent University, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 60, B-9052 Gent, Belgium)

  • Vadim Grigorjev

    (Magnel-Vandepitte Laboratory, Department of Structural Engineering and Building Materials, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Ghent University, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 60, B-9052 Gent, Belgium)

  • Philip Van den Heede

    (Magnel-Vandepitte Laboratory, Department of Structural Engineering and Building Materials, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Ghent University, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 60, B-9052 Gent, Belgium)

  • Hannah Nachtergaele

    (Magnel-Vandepitte Laboratory, Department of Structural Engineering and Building Materials, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Ghent University, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 60, B-9052 Gent, Belgium)

  • Krist Degezelle

    (Devagro, Pitantiestraat 100, B-8792 Waregem, Belgium)

  • Nele De Belie

    (Magnel-Vandepitte Laboratory, Department of Structural Engineering and Building Materials, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Ghent University, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 60, B-9052 Gent, Belgium)

Abstract

Concrete manufacturing and recycling must evolve to meet sustainability and carbon reduction demands. While the focus is often on reusing coarse aggregates, fine fractions are also produced during recycling. This study explores using ground fine fractions (0/2) as a partial cement substitute. The fines were characterized for their mineralogical, chemical, and physical properties, and experiments were conducted on pastes and mortars with 0% to 30% cement substitution, including isothermal calorimetry and strength tests. Two concrete mixes—a reference mix with natural aggregates and CEM I, and a mix with 10% concrete fines replacing CEM I—using recycled sand and coarse aggregates were tested for compressive strength, carbonation, shrinkage, and freeze–thaw resistance. The results indicated that the recycled concrete had a comparable strength to the reference and a slightly reduced durability in freeze–thaw conditions. In terms of shrinkage, recycled concrete with 10% concrete fines had an increased drying shrinkage and a lower autogenous shrinkage due to the water retention capacity of the recycled aggregates.

Suggested Citation

  • Laurena De Brabandere & Vadim Grigorjev & Philip Van den Heede & Hannah Nachtergaele & Krist Degezelle & Nele De Belie, 2025. "Using Fines from Recycled High-Quality Concrete as a Substitute for Cement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-17, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:4:p:1506-:d:1589329
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/4/1506/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/4/1506/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:4:p:1506-:d:1589329. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.