Characterization of Materials

Concrete is a composite material and a heterogeneous mixture of cement, coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, water, and chemical admixture. The behaviour and performance of concrete in the fresh as well as hardened stages largely depend on the physical, mechanical, and chemical properties of its constituents. Hence, it is important to determine the characteristics of the raw materials prior to the designing of concrete mix for their intended application. This book aims to compare the performance of concrete, prepared using two different types of coarse aggregates (natural coarse aggregate (NCA) and recycled coarse aggregate (RCA)). The subsequent sections exclusively discuss the differences in physical and mechanical properties between NCA and RCA.