Citation :

Ramya N, T. Mahadevaiah, S. Pradeepa, S. L. Arpitha Gowda, Prashant Sunagar, "Coupled Mechanical and Transport Performance of Concrete Incorporating Alkali-Activated GGBS Aggregates and Recycled Electronic Waste," International Journal of Civil Engineering, vol. 13, no. 5, pp. 32-47, 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V13I5P103

Abstract

The rapid growth of infrastructure development has placed an unprecedented strain on natural aggregate resources, accelerating their depletion and intensifying the environmental impact of conventional concrete production. Simultaneously, the increasing burden of Electronic Waste (e-waste) is a significant sustainability issue because of the troublesome nature of its materials and the few avenues for recycling it. This study explores the use of combined alkali-activated GGBS-based manufactured artificial aggregates with recycled e-waste aggregates as a substitute for natural coarse aggregate in structural concrete. An extensive experimental program was carried out on M25 concrete containing combined manufactured GGBS and e-waste aggregates at 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% replacement by volume. Workability in the fresh state was assessed with slump and compaction factor tests. The mechanical properties of the hardened concrete were assessed with compressive strength and static modulus of elasticity tests. The transport-related durability property was assessed using the RCPT, which was performed after 28 days of curing. The concrete performances demonstrated a non-linear relationship with aggregate replacement level that was highly dependent on the relative stiffness of the different types of aggregates used, their morphologies, and those of the paste-aggregate transition zones. The optimum replacement level was found to be 20%, where workability was improved, compressive strength was significantly increased, and chloride ion penetrability was much reduced compared to conventional concrete, owing to the increased particle packing, bonding efficiency, and partial microstructural densification provided by the alkali-activated GGBS aggregates. Although the mechanical performance of the concretes decreased with increasing replacement level, leading to increased heterogeneity and reduced stiffness, this provides a focus for future work. The study demonstrates that controlled incorporation of GGBS-based artificial aggregates and recycled e-waste can produce mechanically efficient concrete with enhanced durability, thereby establishing a scientifically grounded pathway to resource-efficient, sustainable aggregate engineering.

Keywords

Alkali-Activated GGBS Aggregates, Chloride Ion Penetrability, Recycled Electronic Waste, Sustainable Aggregate Engineering.

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