CONCRETE BEHAVIOR USING RECYCLED WASTEWATER

Abstract

Concrete is one of the world's most essential and most widely used civil engineering applications, making it the reason to continue the need for development by implementing more sustainable methods. Water is one of the fundamental pillars in its manufacture and its acquisition of the required mechanical and physical properties through the applicable mixing ratios. So far, tap water is mainly used in this process, whether in preparing components, mixing, or even after hardening during the curing treatment process. However, this may become a burden in the future due to the increasing scarcity of fresh water, where regions suffer due to population growth, climatic changes, and poor management of water systems. This paper deals with the use of tertiary treated wastewater (recycled water) treated by the Jebel Ali sewage treatment plant in Dubai-UAE as an alternative in the concrete industry during the mixing and curing treatment phase by testing the extent of this effect on the mechanical properties of concrete, such as compressive, flexural, and tensile strength from a general perspective. The results show a significant improvement in the compressive strength observed according to the cubes crushing test, reaching 33% after seven days, 70% after 14 days, 56% after 21 days, and the endurance tensile strength test improved by 4% after 28 days in comparison with the normal concrete. The results show that the recycled wastewater concrete performed closer to, if not better than, the normal concrete in mechanical and physical properties.