Toward the development of sustainable concretes with recycled concrete aggregates: Comprehensive review of studies on mechanical properties

In recent years, the increased rate of urbanization has led to the generation and release of large amounts of construction and demolition (C&D) waste. From the viewpoint of environmental preservation and effective utilization of resources, it is beneficial and necessary to reuse C&D waste. Recycled concrete aggregate, which is obtained from C&D waste, is currently being considered as an alternative aggregate for structural concrete. Recycled aggregate concrete (RAC), an ecofriendly concrete produced by partial or full substitution of natural aggregates with recycled concrete aggregates in a concrete mix, has drawn much attention recently. Over the last decade, a significant volume of studies has been reported in the literature on the behavior of RACs. This paper summarizes the literature dealing with the mechanical properties (and the parameters affecting them) of RACs produced using coarse recycled concrete aggregates published between 1978 and 2017. In order to provide a comprehensive understanding of the behavior of RAC, this review takes into account more than 200 published studies. The review also discusses the less understood influences of aggregate surface treatment, aggregate moisture state, and concrete mixing on the behavior of RAC. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first review dealing with all the potential influential factors affecting the mechanical properties of RAC. Hence, this review is expected to help researchers better understand the behavior of this construction material.