Studies on roof panels cast with recycled waste for affordable housing

There is a dire need for alternative building materials that are both sustainable and environmentally friendly. The roofing system forms a major part of any structural system, and most roofing systems are constructed using Reinforced Cement Concrete, which has very high embodied energy. This study aims to assess the performance of an alternative arch panel roofing system made from low-grade concrete with an equivalent strength to brick masonry. Recycled aggregates are used as a replacement for conventional fine aggregates used in conventional concrete mix. Concrete designed for M10 grade, using recycled fine aggregates, lathe machine waste, and brick waste, is used for the arch roof panel. The recycled concrete showed an increase in flexural strength by 79.5 % when compared with conventional concrete. The arch roof panel has been tested for two-point loading. The maximum load-carrying capacity was obtained for partially restrained support conditions, with an ultimate load of 129 kN. The cost of the arch panel roof was 44 % lower than that of the control mix condition, with the same proportions of 1:4.57:4.55 and a water-to-cement ratio of 0.6. The cost of this sustainable arch roof panel is comparable to that of other available alternatives for roof panels.