Enhancing the Performance of Recycled Aggregate Concrete Using Graphene Oxide

Jagadeesh P^1,2*Rathna Swamy²

• ¹School of Civil Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, India
• ²Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India

Using recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) in concrete will help the environment by using fewer natural resources and reducing the amount of trash in landfills. Nevertheless, RCA concrete is generally less strong and more porous because of the adhesion of mortar and suboptimal interfacial transition zone (ITZ). Employing recycled concrete aggregate (RCA), the experiment examines the feasibility of employing graphene oxide (GO) to serve as a nano-engineered additive to improve the microstructural and concrete's mechanical properties. The creation of an M30 grade concrete mix using 100% RCA and M-sand was the main goal of the current investigation, whereby the GO was added at a ratio of 0.02-0.06% of the cement weight, using SEM, EDS, FTIR, TGA, as well as micro-CT scanning, we investigated the microstructure and mechanical characteristics, such as compressive, split tensile, as well as flexural strength. The results show that the inclusion of GO significantly improves both the ITZ compaction and strength development. The most desirable effect was realised using 0.04% GO. Microstructure study indicated that the crack-bridging and nucleation actions of GO resulted in decreased porosity, improved pore distribution, and strengthened aggregate-cement bonding. These discoveries reveal that GO will reduce the obstacles relating to the RCA concrete, making the way to high-quality and stable construction materials.