Contamination Problems in the Recycling of Concrete

Abstract

Concrete rubble has the possibility of being contaminated by a variety of foreign materials. The presence of contaminants should be considered when old concrete is to be incorporated into new, and an assessment made of their potential undesirable interactions, if any, under the anticipated service conditions of the new concrete. It should be said at the outset that there is little published literature giving quantitative information about the level and effects of various contaminants. Nevertheless, one can make a useful qualitative survey based on a general knowledge of the properties of concrete and concrete-making materials.