Structural behaviour of composite members with recycled aggregate concrete - An overview

A series of investigations on structural behaviour, durability, fire-resistance and seismic performance of composite members with recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) have been carried out in the past 10 years (2005-2014). This paper is consisted of three parts: the first part introduces and discusses the research progress in regard to the structural behaviour of RAC filled steel tubular columns and beams; the second part concentrates on the structural behaviour of steel-reinforced RAC members, including columns, beams, shear walls and slabs; and the third part focuses on the long-term performance of composite members with RAC, involving fire resistance, durability and seismic performance. It seems that RAC composite members with different replacement ratios of recycled coarse aggregate have slightly lower or similar structural behaviour compared to that of normal concrete composite members. Review results reveal that it is feasible to apply steel-RAC composite members as structural applications. This intensive review provides a reasonable knowledge of the structural behaviour of steel-RAC composite members, and recommends further investigations on the failure mechanics and durability of steel-RAC composite members which are needed to promote safe and economic application in the future.