ABSTRACT
The present study deals with the mechanical behavior of reinforced concrete columns made from Recycled Coarse and Fine Aggregates replacing the natural ones. These columns are loaded in eccentric static compression with different replacement ratio in their mix, with the same compression strength class. An experimental program followed by an analytical analysis is developed. Four columns are tested: one with natural aggregate (NA) as a reference, and three with recycled aggregates (RA) and different replacement ratios (gravel and sand) as defined by the French National Project RECYBÉTON. The columns are instrumented with LVDT and strain gauges to measure concrete and steel strains. Results indicate that a low RA replacement ratio leads to negligible change in the ultimate strength of RA columns compared to the NA one. On the other hand, a ratio of 100% induces a slightly different mechanical behavior. Finally, the analytical study confirms that EUROCODE 2 standard allows designing short columns in a safe way, irrespective of the use of recycled or natural aggregates.
