Reuse of ceramic waste in concrete production for a sustainable ecosystem

The rapid development of ceramic production has resulted in greater ceramic waste and environmental problems. The current study investigates the use of ceramic waste (CW) as fine aggregate in concrete, taking advantage its high silicon dioxide concentration. Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX) and SEM were used to investigate the elemental composition and microstructure of CW. CW was replaced for up to 30% of fine aggregate in concrete, with 5% increases. The study assessed the influence on concrete using fresh and mechanical strength measurements, and SEM analysis was performed at 7 and 90 days to explore the pozzolanic response of CW. The increased porosity and angular roughness of crushed ceramic waste (CW) aggregate deteriorated the fresh properties of concrete and lowered its bulk density. Initially, incorporating CW resulted in a loss in compressive strength during the early curing period (7 days). Microstructural research demonstrated that CW’s pozzolanic activity was restricted in the early stages but improved over time, enabling enhanced crystalline formation and a denser concrete matrix by lowering macropores. The replacement of 15% of river sand with CW in concrete reduces production costs by 9% but also demonstrated potential environmental benefits.