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Utilization of Concrete Waste as Partial Replacement to Aggregates for Non-

Load Bearing Concrete Lego® Block

Conference Paper · May 2015

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 2015 International Conference on Environmental Quality Concern,
Control and Conservation, May7-8, 2015, Kaohsiung, Taiwan ROC

Utilization of Concrete Waste as Partial Replacement to Aggregates

for Non-Load Bearing Concrete Lego® Block

Juviemay A. Biol1, Eunice Rizalyn P. Dulay1, Jose Carlo D. Mendoza1,

Darvin Karl G. Tabas1, Donamel M. Saiyari1,2
1
Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Adamson University, Ermita, Manila, Philippines
1000
2
Environmental Engineering Graduate Program, School of Civil, Environmental and Geological Engineering,
Mapua Institute of Technology, Intramuros, Manila, Philippines 1002
*Corresponding author: dmsaiyari@adamson.edu.ph; Tel: +63-2-5242011

ABSTRACT

Old structures are subjected for demolition when it reached its life-year. Structure demolitions produced
majority of concrete wastes and debris which are huge and dense to be disposed in landfills. Concrete
Waste (CW) can constitute up to 50% of all solid waste generated in a country (Holcim, 2007). This
study sought to utilize CW as Recycled Concrete Aggregates (RCA) as an alternative to Natural
Concrete Aggregates (NCA) in producing a concrete Lego® blocks. Slump, specific gravity, water
absorption and compressive tests were carried out. Test results show that the specific gravity of RCA
was lower than the specific gravity of NCA by 35.28%. Whilst, the water absorption of RCA was higher
than the water absorption of NCA by 89.16%. Further, both 25% and 50% RCA have consistent
workability and surpassed the Philippine National Standards (PNS) compressive strength of 2.45 MPa
for non-load bearing wall. Thus, RCA with 50% replacement yield the highest strength compared to all
concrete mixes which has a percentage increase of 27% compared PNS. With this illustrated properties,
concrete waste possess properties potential as partial replacement to natural aggregates for non-load
bearing concrete Lego® blocks.

Keywords: aggregates, compressive strength, concrete lego® block, concrete waste

1. INTRODUCTION

The construction industry all over the world is progressing with time as population and
technology have expanded. Globally, the construction industry is projected to grow from 8.5
trillion US Dollars in 2015 to 10.3 trillion US Dollars in 2020 (Construction Intelligence Center,
2015). These figures means billions of metric tons of raw materials, about 53 billion metric tons
of natural aggregates forecast in 2017 according to Report Buyer (Freedonia, 2014). This trend
is unsustainable as natural resources are being depleted. Nowadays, greater environmental
awareness, more environmental laws, and the trend in cost optimization have led to recycling
of concrete, instead of shipping concrete wastes and debris into landfills for disposal (Ganiron,
2012). Concrete Waste can constitute up to 50% of all solid waste generated in a country
(Holcim, 2007). For instance, concrete can be recycled as substitute to natural aggregates after
being processed, and it is known as Recycled Concrete Aggregate (RCA) (Yang et al., 2010).

Numerous studies have been conducted regarding the use of RCA in concrete. Behera et al.
(2014) reviewed these studies and found out that the mechanical and durability performance of
concrete with RCA are generally lower compared to a conventional concrete, but its use
contributes to sustainability. About 60% to 75% of the total volume of concrete are aggregates,
therefore a replacement of the natural aggregates with RCA will have a significant reduction to
natural aggregates depletion (Cachim, 2009). Other authors such as Vasquez et al. in 2014
showed that concrete with RCA can be improved by using a novel method in mix proportioning.
Further, Behera et al. added that most of the applications of RCA are with non-structural since
numerous studies have shown significant influence of RCA in concrete (2014).

This paper is aimed at producing concrete Lego® blocks with RCA replacement of natural
aggregates for non-load bearing applications. Concrete Lego® block is a type of masonry unit
wherein mortar is not necessary because of its interlocking system that allows it to be arranged
and locked together (Ali et al., 2012).

2. METHODOLOGY

Production of concrete Lego blocks with RCA as partial replacement to the coarse aggregates
of the concrete mix started with the sourcing of raw materials. These raw materials were
concrete wastes, cement, sand and water. Concrete wastes have undergone sorting, crushing,
sieving, and preliminary tests as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework

 2015 International Conference on Environmental Quality Concern,
Control and Conservation, May7-8, 2015, Kaohsiung, Taiwan ROC

2.1 Materials

2.1.1 Concrete Wastes (CW)

Concrete Wastes were collected locally, from a construction sites and concrete debris left
behind during renovation of some facilities in Adamson University. The CW to be used was
properly selected, rejecting those with impurities such as wood, plastic, and soil. The CW pieces
were crushed into small pieces and sieved using a mechanical Shaker with brand RO-TAP and
serial number of W1106171842. The size of the sieved aggregates was number 7, using sieve
nominal openings of 12.5 mm to 4.75 mm according to ASTM Standard specifications of
Concrete Aggregates with designation C33/C33M-11a. The sieves used were made by WS
Tyler. The sieved particles were the RCA to be partially substituted to NCA. The RCA were
then weighed and subjected for preliminary test to obtain the Specific Gravity and Water
Absorption for the Coarse Aggregates in accordance to ASTM C127-12.

2.1.2 Cement, Sand and Water

Ordinary Portland cement was used as a binder to RCA, natural aggregates and sand in the
construction of Concrete Lego Blocks (Aggregates, 2015). The Recycled Concrete aggregates
were derived from concrete wastes and concrete demolition debris, while the natural aggregates
and were bought from a local supplier. Sand is often a principal component material because it
provides strength, hardness, and durability. The particle size ranged from 0.075mm to 4.75mm
(ASTM C33/C33M-11a). The water used in the mixing of concrete was filtered water, taken
from Adamson University water supply. A Shimadzu 76504 Universal Testing Machine was
used to determine the compressive strength of the samples.

2.2 Experimental Methods

Three batches of concrete Lego blocks, wherein each batch was formulated with varying
percentages of RCA replacement, were tested to determine the variation of the compressive
strengths with respect to the replacement. The methods conformed to ASTM standards.

2.2.1 Specific Gravity and Water Absorption Test

The RCA used were hammered into smaller pieces and then sieved to desired sizes according
to ASTM C33/C33M-11a. Samples of RCA and NCA were tested in accordance to ASTM
C127-12 for the Specific Gravity (Equation 1) and Water Absorption (Equation 2). According
to ASTM Designation C127-12, the Specific gravity at Saturated-Surface Dry (SSD) condition is
the ratio of the density at SSD of aggregates to the density of distilled water at a stated temperature
while water absorption expressed in percentage is the ability of the aggregate to hold an amount of
water.

𝐷
𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 𝑥 100 (1)
𝐶−(𝐴−𝐵)

where: D – Weight of Oven Dry Sample

C – Weight of Saturated Surface Dry Sample
A – Weight of Sample + Vessel + Water
B – Weight of Vessel & Water
 𝐶−𝐷
𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐴𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = 𝑥 100 (2)
D

where: D – Weight of Oven Dry Sample

C – Weight of Saturated Surface Dry Sample

The Lego molds were constructed beforehand using plywood and plastic cups. In the concrete
proportions, 50 kg of Portland cement was mixed with 4 sacks of coarse aggregate and 3 sacks
of sand. The water to cement ratio was 0.7 (Al Bakri et al., 2013). Thirty-six (36) samples of
Concrete Lego Blocks were molded: 12 samples with 25% RCA replacement, 12 samples with
50% replacement, and 12 samples of 75% replacement. The samples were then subjected to
compressive test using a UTM in accordance to ASTM C1314 – 11a. Then, data were gathered
and analyzed.

2.2.1 Slump Tests

The concrete slump test conformed to ASTM Designation C143/C143M – 10a is an empirical
test that measures the workability of fresh concrete. This test method was originally developed
to provide a technique to monitor the consistency of unhardened concrete. The slump was
generally found to increase proportionally with the water content of a given concrete mixture,
and thus to be inversely related to concrete strength. It measures the consistency of the concrete
in that specific batch. It refers to the ease with which the concrete flows and used to indicate
the degree of wetness. Workability of concrete is mainly affected by consistency, wetter mixes
will be more workable than drier mixes, but concrete of the same consistency may vary in
workability.

2.2.2. Compressive Test

The compressive strength test conformed to ASTM C1314 – 11a, Standard Test Method for
Compressive Strength of Masonry Prisms. The test piece was compressed between the platens
of the Universal Testing Machine by a gradually applied load. The test was done after 7 days,
14 days, 21 days, and 28 days of curing to determine the concrete’s rate of strength gain. The
standard value of a compressive strength for a non-load bearing is 2.45 MPa according to
Philippine National Standards. For the National Structural Code of the Philippines, compressive
strength of the concrete block for Non-Bearing Wall must be designed to carry their own weight
plus the superimposed finish and the lateral forces.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

This shows all the results and laboratory testing applied on the Concrete Lego® Blocks. Data
are used to calculate and analyse the advantages and disadvantages of Concrete Lego® Blocks.
With the data gathered, analysis of the data through graphs were drawn and interpreted to arrive
to conclusion of the research study.

3.1 Specific Gravity

The average specific gravity or RCA has a percent difference of 36.28% from that of the NCA
as shown in Table 1. This signifies that RCA is 36.28% less dense compared to NCA.
According to the study of McNeil et al., the density of RCA is generally lower than NCA
 2015 International Conference on Environmental Quality Concern,
Control and Conservation, May7-8, 2015, Kaohsiung, Taiwan ROC

density, due to the adhered mortar that is less dense than the underlying rock. Silva et al. noted
that the more adhered mortar and cement paste in the aggregate the lower the density of the
recycled aggregate but they also noted that the density of the original aggregate also affects the
density of the recycled aggregate.

Table 1. Results of Specific Gravity and Water Absorption of Coarse Aggregate

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average
Recycled Coarse Aggregate
Specific Gravity 2.11 2.04 2.13 2.09
Water Absorption 13.92% 13.77% 13.53% 13.74%
Natural Coarse Aggregate
Specific Gravity 3.24 3.16 3.30 3.23
Water Absorption 1.83% 1.42% 1.23% 1.49%

Moreover, Behera et al. in 2014 reviewed a number of studies regarding RCA and they have
confirmed that the density and the specific gravity of RCA are generally lower compared to the
NCA because of the adhered mortar or cement paste being that is responsible for the lowering
of specific gravity, bulk density and Surface Dry density of recycled aggregate.

3.2 Water Absorption

The average water absorption of RCA is at 1.49% while that of RCA is at 13.74%. The average
water absorption of RCA has a percent difference of 89.16% from that of NCA. According to
the study of Silva et al. in 2014, NCA has a water absorption range of 0.5% to 1.5% which is
neglected for most concrete mix designs. They added that RCA generally has higher water
absorption values compared to that of NCA. Padmini et al. said that high water absorption in
RCA is due to the adhered mortar and mortar pieces that are more porous compared to the NCA
(2009).

3.3 Slump Test

The slump test refers to the ease with which the concrete flows and used to indicate the degree
of wetness. The wetter mixes will be more workable than drier mixes, but concrete of the same
consistency may vary in workability. A sample of freshly mixed concrete was placed and
compacted by rodding in a mold shaped as the frustum of a cone. The mold was raised and the
concrete allowed to subside. The vertical distance between the original and displaced position
of the center of the top surface of the concrete was measured and recorded as the slump of the
concrete. Then it was compared to the standard concrete mix slump of ½ in (15mm) to 9in
(230mm) if it is pass or fail.

Table 2. Slump Test Results

Batch Slump (mm) Remarks
Batch 1 (25%) 220 Passed
Batch 2 (50%) 200 Passed
Batch 3 (75%) 195 Passed
The slump was taken for each mixing of concrete with 25%, 50%, and 75% replacement of
RCA. This test was conducted to determine the workability of the fresh concrete. Table 2 shows
the result of slump test of concrete made with much NCA is higher than those with lesser NCA.
This result may be attributed to study of Ismail and Ramli (2014), that the workability of the
concrete with NCA is marginally better than that of concrete with RCA. Also, according to the
study of Yong and Teo in 2009, the slump of concrete made with natural aggregates is higher
that the concrete with 100% replacement of RCA. Furthermore, Behera et al., stated that RCA
is porous in nature that requires additional water than the conventional concrete to obtain the
same workability (2014).

3.4 Compressive Test of Masonry Units (ASTM C1314 – 11a )

Figure 2 shows the comparison of the blocks with different percentages of RCA on Lego Blocks
in terms of compressive strength for 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. The 50% formulation is the highest
yield in the 28-day compressive stress compared to the 25% and 75%. Compressive strength of
concrete with 50% RCA has reached the ultimate strength. In accordance to the Philippine
National Standards (PNS), the 50% and 25% formulations’ 28 day compressive stress exceeded
that of PNS. However, the 75 % failed to reach the standard value. Based on the figure below,
during the 7 days, only the 50% formulation passed the standard value while during the 14 days,
only the 25% passed the standard value. In the 21 and 28 days, 25% and 50% formulations
passed the standard and the 75% formulation failed. The 25% and 75% formulations have
similar curve except that the 25% has higher values than that of the 75%. The 50% curve has a
different trend in a way that the period between 7 days to 14 days has nearly horizontal slope
compared to the two formulations. This means that in this period, rate of strength gain is slower.
However, in the succeeding periods, the 50% has steeper slope compared to the two
formulations in the same period.

4
3.5
3
2.5 25%
Stress/Strength

2 50%
(MPa)

1.5 75%
1 Theoretical
0.5
0
7 14 21 28 Curing Days

Figure 2. Compressive Strengths of the four different percentages of RCA on Lego

Block
There were two important properties of Recycled and Natural Concrete Aggregates being
determined in the study, the Specific Gravity at saturated-surface dry condition and water
absorption. The values obtained from the RCA and NCA differ in some extent: The Specific
Gravity of RCA is lower compared to the Specific Gravity of NCA. According to the study of
McNeil, et al., the density of RCA is generally lower than NCA density, due to the adhered
mortar that is less dense than the underlying rock. Silva, et al. noted that the more adhered
 2015 International Conference on Environmental Quality Concern,
Control and Conservation, May7-8, 2015, Kaohsiung, Taiwan ROC

mortar and cement paste in the aggregate the lower the density of the recycled aggregate but
they also noted that the density of the original aggregate also affects the density of the recycled
aggregate. The average specific gravity or RCA has a percent difference of 36.28% from that
of NCA. This means that the RCA is 36.28% lighter and less dense than the NCA. The water
absorption of RCA is higher than the water absorption of NCA. According to the study of Silva
et al. NCA has a water absorption range of 0.5% to 1.5% which is neglected for most concrete
mix designs. They added that RCA generally has higher water absorption values compared to
that of NCA. Padmini et al. said that high water absorption in RCA is due to the adhered mortar
and mortar pieces that are more porous compared to the NCA.The average water absorption or
RCA has a percent difference of 89.16% from that of NCA. This means that the RCA can hold
up to 89.16% more water than the NCA.

4 CONCLUSIONS

This study focused on the effects of the concrete wastes as possible alternative to natural
aggregates in the production of concrete Lego block.

 The primary properties of RCA such as specific gravity and water absorption
were within the requirements of ASTM Standards. The specific gravity of RCA
was lower than the specific gravity of NCA by 35.28%. The water absorption of
RCA was higher than the water absorption of NCA by 89.16%.
 The 25% and 50% RCA have consistent workability and produced compressive
strength of 2.56 MPa, 3.35 MPa respectively. However, 75% replacement of
natural aggregates by RCA led to less workability and a decrease in concrete
strength to 1.83 MPa.
 The RCA with percentages 25%, 50% surpassed the Philippine National
Standards compressive strength of 2.45 MPa for non-load bearing wall.
 RCA with 50% replacement yield the highest strength compared to all concrete
mixes. The compressive strength of the 50% replacement increased by 27%
compared to the required strength of the Philippine National Standard.

5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to those people behind this project most
especially to Engr. Donamel M. Saiyari, our ever encouraging research proponent, who
patiently guides us from the start until the end of the project and always ready to answer the
questions whenever we have difficulties, to Engr. Crispin Lictaoa and Engr. Albert Griño for
inspiring us, students, to strive at our best and for inspiring us every single time. Also, to Tatay
Jojo who willingly offered his time and talents to help us make our Lego mold, to Huayou
Construction Development Philippine Corporation (HCDPC) especially to Engr. Joey Aguillon
whose very accommodating and helpful in acquiring our concrete waste, to Andrei del Mundo
who presented his car to drove our concrete waste from Taguig City to Adamson University, to
Kris Castillo who helped us in hammering our concrete wastes to become aggregates, to
Dulay’s residence which served as our second home, to our parents who’s ever understanding
and supporting us financially and emotionally on our needs to be able to make this project
possible. Through their efforts and support, it serves as our motivation to work harder in this
project. Also to our friends who directly or indirectly supported us to finish these outputs.
This research was funded by the Adamson University Center for Research and Continuing
Education (AdU-CRECE) for the presentation of the paper to Environmental Quality Concern,
Control and Conservation (EQC) 2015 International Conference.

Lastly but definitely not the least, we would like to thank the Almighty God who gave us the
strength and patience in everything that we do and for giving us the knowledge and wisdom to
finish this project. Without them, everything is impossible.

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