TITLE:
Effect of Carbonated Recycled Coarse Aggregate on the Durability of Recycled-Aggregate Thermal-Insulating Concrete under Salt Freeze-Thaw Conditions
AUTHORS:
Lucen Hao
KEYWORDS:
Carbonation, Recycled Coarse Aggregate, Recycled-Aggregate Thermal-Insulating Concrete, Chloride Attack, Freeze-Thaw Cycles
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Engineering and Technology,
Vol.14 No.4,
November
10,
2026
ABSTRACT: This study investigated the effects of carbonation-treated recycled coarse aggregate on the compressive strength and splitting tensile strength of recycled-aggregate thermal-insulating concrete (RATIC-CO2), as well as its durability under combined chloride exposure and freeze-thaw cycling. The water absorption and crushing index of the treated aggregate were 10.6% and 11.6% lower, respectively, than those of untreated aggregate. The mean compressive and splitting tensile strengths of RATIC-CO2 were 21.2% and 7.1% higher, respectively, than those of RATIC. The tensile-strength difference is descriptive because its statistical uncertainty has not been quantified. RATIC-CO2 retained a higher relative dynamic modulus after 100 cycles. The mean mass-loss rates were approximately 3.6% and 3.25% for RATIC and RATIC-CO2, respectively, at 100 cycles.