Sustainability Assessment and Performance Evaluation of Recyclable and Modular Concrete Incorporating Treated Recycled Fine Aggregates

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive sustainability assessment of Recyclable and Modular (R&M) Concrete incorporating treated Recycled Fine Aggregates (RFAs) derived from Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW). While conventional concrete remains a structurally reliable material, its dependence on virgin sand, high embodied energy, and associated CO? emissions make it environmentally and economically unsustainable in the long term. To address these challenges, this research evaluates the economic, environmental, and socio-technical feasibility of replacing natural sand with RFAs at varying levels (0%, 30%, 50%, and 100%). The assessment integrates direct material cost analysis, life cycle economic indicators, embodied carbon quantification, and socio-economic evaluation to provide a holistic understanding of R&M concrete’s viability. Experimental findings reveal that 30–40% RFA replacement delivers the optimal balance, achieving 10–15% cost savings per cubic meter, along with 11–17% reductions in embodied CO? emissions, 35% conservation of natural resources, and up to 45% landfill diversion. Additionally, the study highlights social co-benefits, including employment generation in CDW recycling supply chains and enhanced affordability for prefabricated modular applications. Although higher replacement levels (?50%) negatively influenced mechanical performance and durability, pre-treatment techniques improved material quality and extended usability within structural-grade applications. Overall, the research demonstrates that R&M concrete, when optimized with treated RFAs, represents a technically sound, eco-efficient, and economically viable construction material. Its integration into modular construction systems offers a scalable pathway for advancing circular economy practices, resource efficiency, and sustainable infrastructure development.

Introduction

Concrete is the most widely used construction material globally, but traditional concrete faces environmental and structural challenges, including limited tensile strength, durability issues, and high carbon emissions. To address these, researchers are exploring recycled and modular concrete made from Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW). These alternatives reduce reliance on natural resources, minimize waste, and promote sustainability by enabling circular economy practices.

Recycled Fine Aggregates (RFA) and Recycled Coarse Aggregates (RCA) improve environmental impact and cost-efficiency, though they present challenges such as higher porosity, weaker interfacial zones, and contamination that can reduce mechanical performance and durability. Treatment methods like acid washing and thermal processing can improve recycled aggregate quality.

The study emphasizes the need for systematic evaluation of recycled aggregates in concrete, focusing on fresh properties, mechanical strength (compressive, tensile, flexural), and durability (water absorption, chloride penetration, freeze-thaw resistance). Incorporating pozzolanic materials can enhance recycled concrete performance. Modular construction with recycled materials offers faster build times, reduced waste, and socio-economic benefits like job creation.

The research aligns with sustainability goals by proposing technical frameworks for treating and validating recycled aggregates, specifically tailored to India’s socio-economic context, aiming to reduce landfill dependence, conserve resources, and lower embodied carbon. Experimental methodology includes standard-compliant mix designs, material characterization, and performance testing of recycled and modular concrete specimens.

Conclusion

The experimental analysis revealed that the incorporation of Recycled Fine Aggregates (RFAs) in modular concrete exhibits varying effects across different performance parameters. Workability and setting times were observed to be adversely influenced when the RFA content exceeds 40%, primarily due to the high-water absorption capacity and residual adhered mortar on recycled particles. Conversely, mechanical strength characteristics, namely compressive, split tensile, and flexural strength, remained within acceptable structural limits at moderate replacement levels (up to 30–40%). Furthermore, durability parameters, including water absorption, resistance to chloride penetration, and freeze-thaw cycles, demonstrated comparable performance to control concrete, primarily when pre-treatment methods such as acid washing and heat treatment were employed on RFAs. The optimized mix design retained performance parity with conventional concrete and resulted in notable ecological and economic advantages, thereby validating the feasibility of using recycled and modular concrete in mainstream construction. This research makes substantial contributions to the field of sustainable construction engineering by providing a comprehensive evaluation of Recyclable and Modular (R&M) Concrete, particularly focusing on the use of Recycled Fine Aggregates (RFAs) sourced from Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW). Through a series of controlled experimental investigations and comparative performance analyses, the study not only establishes the technical feasibility of R&M concrete for structural applications but also addresses its broader implications across social, economic, and environmental dimensions.

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Rajesh Pandey, Harish Chawla. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.