Experimental investigation on the structural performance of reinforced concrete deep beams incorporating recycled concrete aggregates

This investigation focuses on exploring the feasibility of using recycled concrete aggregates mix in concrete structures. The objective of the study is to examine the tensile, compressive, and flexural strengths of recycled aggregate concrete, as well as performance of reinforced RAC deep beams by evaluating critical parameters including aggregate replacement ratio, water-to-cement ratio, presence of structural web openings, and layered casting configurations. Concrete incorporating recycled concrete aggregates mix with replacement percentages of (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) was utilized and tested after 28 days of curing. The study evaluated 13 reinforced concrete deep beams categorized into solid, with web openings, and layered configurations. Overall, it was observed that an increase in the percentage of recycled aggregates led to a reduction in the compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths of the concrete. Nevertheless, the application of RAC as aggregate concrete can be supported by adjusting the replacement percentage of recycled concrete aggregates and the water-to-cement ratio to achieve the desired performance of reinforced concrete structures. A 25% RCA replacement ratio minimizes the compressive strength loss to just 3.48%.