Service and Ultimate Load Behavior of Precast-Prestressed Concrete Structures Using Recycled Concrete Aggregates
This thesis focuses on the use of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) in precast-prestressed concrete applications. With the high environmental demands of concrete production, increased sustainability in all components of construction is a necessity. Recent research has shown that RCA can be a viable alternative to natural coarse aggregates (e.g., crushed limestone) in structural reinforced concrete. However, a major limiting factor is the inherent variability in RCA properties, which must be quantified and incorporated to pre-qualify the material. The effects of this variability can be better controlled in precast concrete applications. RCA made from rejected/discarded precast concrete can especially result in high-quality materials, also reducing transportation costs. Since most precast concrete applications use prestressing, this research specifically investigates the effects of RCA on: (1) rate of concrete strength and stiffness gain; (2) strand bond strength; (3) prestress losses; and (4) service load and ultimate load behavior of precast-prestressed concrete beams.
History
Date Created
2017-07-04Date Modified
2018-10-04Research Director(s)
Yahya KuramaCommittee Members
Alex Taflanidis Michael McGinnisDegree
- Master of Science in Civil Engineering
Degree Level
- Master's Thesis
Program Name
- Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences