Industrial and agro-waste materials for use in recycled concrete

The rapid urbanization around the world has created shortfall of conventional building construction materials and put a lot of stress on the natural resources, which are getting scarce. Also the disposal of industrial, agro and other solid waste is another serious issue of concern in developing countries. To minimize the cost of construction of concrete structures, researchers have increased their efforts to fine alternatives of the ingredients of concrete without compromising its strength and durability. The major cost of concrete can be optimized by the use of industry and agro-waste materials, which possess pozzolanic activity containing silicates, alumino-silicates and calcium alumino-silicates as partial replacement of cement content or concrete mixture proportioning. This chapter discusses the production process, physical and chemical properties and their use as partial clinker/cement substitution to produce blended cements as well as in concrete mixture proportioning.