Evaluación mecánica y ambiental de la influencia de agregados de concreto reciclado fino en una subbase granular: caso de estudio Colombia

Sustainable construction is a topic of great interest today, and the use of recycled materials is one of the most effective strategies to reduce the environmental impact of construction. In this regard, the replacement of natural materials with recycled materials in road infrastructure has gained attention in recent years. Specifically, the replacement of recycled materials in asphalt and rigid concrete pavements has been studied. However, the analysis of these recycled materials in granular layers of pavements has been limited. Based on the aforementioned, this research is formulated. This thesis provides a detailed study of the impact of replacing fine Recycled Concrete Aggregates (RCA) in the behavior of a Granular Subbase (GSB) under Colombian conditions. Specifically, 10% and 15% substitutions of fine RCA were evaluated, and various physical and mechanical characterization tests were conducted, such as: Particle size distribution (Granulometry), Atterberg Limits and plasticity, Proctor, California Bearing Ratio (CBR), and Los Angeles (LA) Abrasion. Additionally, an environmental analysis was performed to compare the main environmental impacts related to the production of GSB with and without fine RCA substitutions. For this study, the recycled material comes from demolished buildings. Specifically, portions of RCA from these structures were selected for characterization and analysis as a replacement material, while the natural material was sourced from a representative quarry in the region and was also subjected to characterization and analysis. The characterization was carried out according to international and national standards, and the results were compared with the minimum requirements established for GSB in Colombia. The aim was to provide results that are internationally comparable and regionally representative. The main findings of the study reveal a trend toward performance improvement in terms of LA Abrasion and CBR as the RCA content increases, although it does not surpass the results of the natural sample. On average, the LA Abrasion results are 30.9%, 60.0%, and 58.9% for the natural sample and the samples with 10% and 15% fine RCA, respectively. In the CBR with a 5.08 mm penetration and at the maximum compaction level, all samples meet the minimum requirements for different traffic levels. The maximum CBR results are 82.3%, 57.8%, and 66.0% for the natural sample and the samples with 10% and 15% fine RCA, respectively. Lastly, the environmental analysis does not show significant savings for the alternatives with fine RCA replacements; however, the reuse of this recycled material in new projects could be a sustainable alternative for its final disposal. The replacement of RCA in the GSB offers several advantages, such as reducing the consumption of natural materials, decreasing waste generation, and conserving natural resources. Furthermore, the reuse of RCA can reduce the need for extraction and processing of natural materials, which in turn reduces the carbon footprint and the associated environmental impact.In conclusion, this thesis provides a detailed evaluation of the use of fine RCA in a GSB, including its impact on mechanical a nd environmental performance. The results show that RCA replacement can improve GSB performance, although it does not exceed the results of the natural sample. The environmental analysis suggests that RCA reuse could be a sustainable alternative for its final disposal. Further research in this field is recommended to explore new opportunities for sustainable construction in Colombia. It is hoped that this research will lay the foundation for the design of efficient methodologies that regulate the replacement of RCA in new road infrastructures in the country and that it may also be representative for regions with similar conditions.

• Autores: Meneses Vides, Grey; Navarro Ortiz, Luisa
• Tipo de recurso: Trabajo de grado de pregrado
• Fecha de publicación: 2024
• Institución: Corporación Universidad de la Costa
• Repositorio: REDICUC - Repositorio CUC
• Idioma: spa
• OAI Identifier: oai:repositorio.cuc.edu.co:11323/13814
• Acceso en línea: https://hdl.handle.net/11323/13814; https://repositorio.cuc.edu.co/
• Palabra clave: Agregado de concreto reciclado; Subbase granular; CBR; Impacto ambiental; Recycled concrete aggregate; Granular subbase; Environmental impact
• Rights: openAccess
• License: Atribución-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0 Internacional (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)