Potential Use of Post-Earthquake Concrete Construction Waste to Reduce Environmental Impact and Enhance Economic Value
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The increasing intensity and magnitude of earthquakes has given a rise to numerous problems. Beyond the loss of life and economic damage, environmental degradation occurs due to the vast amount of debris resulting from structural and infrastructure damage. With proper processing, concrete waste holds significant potential for reuse as recycled aggregate in new construction. This approach mitigates environmental impact by reducing the consumption of natural aggregates. Transforming concrete rubble into recycled aggregate involves several stages: demolition, cleaning, transportation, crushing, screening, and storage. The equipment employed ranges from simple tools—such as chisels and sledgehammers—to breakers, excavators, and industrial crushers. Research indicates that recycled concrete aggregate possesses different compared to natural aggregate, including specific properties regarding saturated-surface-dry density, water absorption, and crushing and impact values. Utilizing concrete waste to manufacture concrete bricks and paving blocks yields compressive strengths in the range of 10–20 M.Pa. When used as a partial replacement for coarse aggregate in concrete mixtures, it produces compressive strengths varying between 20 and 30 M.Pa; however, the incorporation of admixtures such as nano silica and meta kaolin can boost compressive strength to 40–60 M Pa. Repurposing concrete waste as recycled aggregate offers dual benefits: it reduces environmental impact while simultaneously enhancing the economic value of the waste material.
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