Characterization of ceramic waste aggregate concrete

There is a growing interest in using waste materials such as ceramics as alternative aggregate materials for construction. While other ceramic product wastes such as sanitary wares and electrical insulators have been extensively investigated, not much findings are available on ceramic wall and floor tiles wastes. Thus, the current study focuses on the mechanical characterization of waste ceramic wall and floor tiles aggregate concrete. Ceramic wastes sourced from construction and demolition wastes were separated from other debris and crushed using a quarry metal hammer. Ceramic tiles were sieved into fine and coarse aggregates in line with standards. Other materials used were gravel, river sand, cement and potable water. Workability of the fresh concrete was checked through slump test, and concrete cubes of 150 mm dimensions and cylinders of 100 mm × 200 mm were cast in the laboratory. After 24 h of casting, the concrete samples were demolded and were cured by immersion in water tank at temperature of 22 °C. The compressive and split-tensile strengths of the hardened concrete samples were determined after curing them for 3, 7, 14 and 28 days. Results showed that both the compressive strength and split tensile strength increased appreciably with the curing age than the conventional concrete. Keywords: Aggregate, Compressive strength, Concrete, Split-tensile strength, Waste management