QUALITY EVALUATION OF PULSED POWER RECYCLED SAND BY ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY METHOD

Abstract

Construction and Demolition (C&D) wastes, inclusively concrete, establishes a major portion
of total solid wastes produced in the globe. Regeneration of recycled aggregates from concrete wastes is a
promising technique to mitigate the over-exploitation of natural sand and make waste concrete as a source for
aggregates. This study mainly discusses the production of recycled fine aggregates from concrete wastes by
electric pulsed power discharge method and it’s evaluation with other natural and artificial fine aggregate.
Specimens were prepared from both pulsed power recycled sand and virgin sand. The water absorption of
pulsed power recycled sand was tested regarding virgin Fine Aggregates (FA) by the electrical conductivity
method. The water absorption of recycled sand progressed rapidly during the initial stage of the water
absorption test. Besides the pulsed power recycling technique, it is more effective compared to other recycling
methods, it produced high-quality fine aggregate with a reduced amount of powder. The compressive and
tensile strengths of the mortar produced from pulsed power recycled sand were also approximately identical
to mortar made of virgin sand. The mechanical properties of mortar made from pulsed power sand are satisfied
and relevant to be utilized in the construction industry. It was confirmed in the pulsed discharge method, that
the recovered aggregate could be reduced by giving a large number of discharges, but the cement paste portion
could be almost removed.