EAGER: Utilization of Recycled Concrete in New Building Construction

Cuny City College, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this collaborative US-Turkish pilot research project is to investigate the use of Recycled Concrete Aggregate (RCA) obtained from demolition waste as a substitute for natural aggregate (NA) for the production of new concrete. The topic has been studied for many decades; however, very little progress has been made toward the widespread use of RCA in good-quality concrete for new structures. The research team is uniquely qualified to conduct the bilateral cooperative research and consists of experts in Recycled Concrete Construction Materials at CUNY City College (CCNY) and Structural Engineering at Istanbul Technical University (ITU). Experimental facilities needed to study materials at the micro-scale are at CCNY while facilities for full-scale macro-scale structural testing are at ITU. This project brings together researchers from the US and Turkey and will include reciprocal visits by the two US and two Turkish PIs to each other's laboratories as well as a three month graduate student exchange during the 12 month project. This close working environment will expose individuals in both teams to very different cultural and scientific environments and foster closer relations between US and Turkish researchers. CCNY is a Minority Serving Institution (and Hispanic Serving Institution) and the exposure of STEM students at CCNY to researchers from Turkey and vice versa will be immensely valuable to promoting cultural understanding in two of the world's greatest cities. Also both New York City and Istanbul have unique urban infrastructure construction markets. Working with recycled concrete aggregate producers and manufacturers of structural concrete (Ready Mix companies or batching facilities at construction sites) in these two markets will provide a unique opportunity to develop solutions across a wide spectrum of real-life conditions and constraints.