ISSN- 2394-5125 VOL 6, ISSUE 5, 2019

AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON
CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE
Deepak K. Singh1 , Shashank Kothari 2 , Dharampal S. Kandari 3
Departemnt of Civil Engineering, Graphic Era Deemed to be University, Dehradun
Email: dsin947@gmail.com

Received: 17 August 2019 Revised and Accepted: 12 September 2019

ABSTRACT: There has been a massive growth in construction and demolition activities in the past two
decades due to emergence of new technologies and changing economic climate in India. Construction and
demolition (C&D) waste is produced when a construction/demolition activity is undertaken, such as, roa d
construction, bridge construction, construction of a fly over etc. C&D waste forms a chief percentage of the
solid waste produced in most municipalities of big cities in India. C&D waste mostly contains active and non -
active/biodegradable material for example: concrete, plaster, metal, wood, plastics etc. A fragment of this
material joins the municipal stream polluting the water bodies. These are heavy wastes which have high density,
they are generally bulky and inhabit substantial storage space by the ro adside or in the communal waste
bin/container. Thereafter, it finds its way into surface drains, choking them. It constitutes about 10-20 % of the
municipal solid waste. Therefore, the proper management of C&D waste is important and also easy since most
of the materials are easily recyclable and reusable. In this study the C&D materials such as sanitary ware,
concrete rubble and tiles were acquired from various sites in Dehradun, India and their replacement in
conventional concrete is studied.

Keywords: Construction and demolition (C&D) waste, construction materials, sustainable, recyclable, reusable,
solid waste, Dehradun .

1. INTRODUCTION
Land is a scarce commodity in cities in India. Rapidly increasing population is creating immense pressure on the
authorities as well as general population for heathier consumption of property in large/metro cities. The need for
housing and commercial space is ever increasing and for that new construction is being done rapidly and also the
demolition of old structures is taking place, creating in its wake a lot of waste along with pollution. With the Indian
Sensex touching new highs every quarter and increase of liquidity in the economy the construction and real estate
industry is booming which in turn is generating a colossal volume of Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste.
According to the government figures 12–15 million tonnes of C&D Waste is spawned in India every year (BMTPC
2016[1]; TIFAC 2001). In some cities, it is regularly projected that C&DW makes up 25% o f municipal solid waste
(MSW) based on the findings of the TIFAC [2] study. In a study commissioned by (TIFAC), it was found that about
70% of the construction industry is not sentient of recycling techniques. C&D waste largely contains concrete
rubble, broken bricks, damaged ceramic and mortar, together these four components form around 80%, whereas
metal and wood another 10%. Metal and wood and are generally recycled simply however concrete rubble, bricks,
sanitary ceramic, tiles and mortar are usually obtainable in a motley and need processing before they can be
recycled. Table 1 lists out the various waste materials which were noticed/salvaged by the researchers from various
sites where construction or demolition was taking place in Dehradun city. Recycled Concrete Aggregates (RCA)
are being studied since last five decades, however they are not being used in new construction due to little or no
consistency in their properties and no IS codes/framework being available to guide people and to reinforce their
faith in such practice (Bansal, Mishra and Bishnoi, 2017[3]). Extensive research published in the use of recyclable
aggregates show that their use leads to sub-par concrete performance and durability issues have also been raised.
The reason many say are more porosity in these aggregates and higher than normal water absorption, which leads
to unbalanced and unpredictable water-cement (w/c) ratio. Furthermore, in the course of demolition, micro -cracks
are usually developed in the coarse aggregates which lead to higher permeability and high penetration (Soares et. al
2014[4]).

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S.No. Waste material Source

1 Asphalt
2 Brick
3 Ceramics
4 Concrete
5 Glass
6 Gypsum/Plaster
7 Metals (Ferrous and Non-Ferrous)
8 Plastic
9 Wood
10 Stone/Soil
Table 1: Various Construction and Demolition waste materials found at sites in Dehradun city
Roads, parking lots, roofing materials
Masonry building equipment
Plumbing fixtures, tiles
Foundation, reinforced concrete frames/elements
(beam, columns, slabs),
Doors, Windows
Partitions, Decorative work, False ceilings, POP work
Structural steel, Water pipes, Railings, Decorative work
Doors, Windows, Awnings
Doors, Windows, Plywood, Laminates
Site clearance, Fence, Outside decorative work

In the present study samples of coarse aggregates, sanitary ware and tiles were collected from various sites and
their partial replacement in conventional concrete was studied by carrying out compressive strength test and test
for workability.

2. MATERIALS
Table 2 lists out the various materials used in the study and their sources.
S.No. Material Source
1 Cement (OPC 43 Ultra Local Market
Tech)
2 Fine aggregate (sand) Locally available
3 Coarse aggregate (natural) Locally available
4 Coarse aggregate (recycled) (retrieved from a demolished site in Premnagar, Dehradun)
5 Sanitary ware (retrieved from a demolished site near Turner Road, ISBT Dehradun)
6 Tiles (retrieved from a demolished site near Turner Road, ISBT Dehradun)
7 Water Tap water
Table 2: Materials used in the study and their sources
Tests were carried out on materials 1,2 and 3 according to code provisions as mentioned in IS 2386 (Parts I-IV) [5],
IS 4031 (Parts III, V, VI) [6] and all the properties were found to be acceptable.

3. EXPERIMENTAL CAMPAIGN
Three types of concrete mixes were produced during the study. Compositions of concrete mixes are given in Table
3. For the preparation of first type (symbol CDW1-YY, where YY denotes replacement level), washed, cleaned
and sieved (retained on 20 mm sieve and passed through 40 mm sieve) recycled coarse aggregate (4) (retrieved
from site) was used as a partial replacement of natural coarse aggregate (3). Percentages of replacement were taken
as 20%, 50% and 80%. For the second type (symbol CDW2-YY) the fine aggregate (2) was partially replaced by
sanitary ware powder (5) (crushed to pass through 4.75 mm sieve)) (retained from the site) was replaced in 10%,
20% and 30% successively and for the third type (symbol CDW3-YY) the tiles (6) (retrieved from s ite) (crushed as
shown in Figure 1(a, b and c)) was used as a partial replacement of natural coarse aggregate (3). Percentages of
replacement were taken as 10%, 20% and 30%. One concrete mix for reference (symbol REF) was produced as a
control mix.

Fig 1 (a, b and c): Crushing of tiles

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S.No. Fine Coarse Coarse Sanitary w/c

Symbol Cement aggregate aggregate aggregate ware Tiles
ratio
(2) (natural) (3) (CDW) (4) powder (5)
1 REF 411 709.5 1462 - - - 0.5
2 CDW1-20 411 709.5 1169.6 292.4 - - 0.5
3 CDW1-50 411 709.5 731 731 - - 0.5
4 CDW1-80 411 709.5 292.4 1169.6 - - 0.5
5 CDW2-10 411 638.55 1462 - 70.95 - 0.5
6 CDW2-20 411 567.6 1462 - 141.9 - 0.5
7 CDW2-30 411 496.65 1462 - 212.85 - 0.5
8 CDW3-10 411 709.5 1315.8 - - 146.2 0.5
9 CDW3-20 411 709.5 1169.6 - - 292.4 0.5
10 CDW3-30 411 709.5 1023.4 - - 438.6 0.5
3
Table 3: Composition of concrete mixes for 1m (Kg)

The concrete mix was prepared on a clean, dry and hard surface. One portion of the fresh mixture was subjected to
slump test while the other portion of the fresh mixture was cast in cube moulds of size 15cm x 15cm x 15cm in
layers and each layer was tamped 25 times. Immediately after casting, concrete cubes were covered with wet jute
bags for 24 hours to avoid escape of moisture. For each of the mix proportions, 3 concrete cubes were cast and
therefore, a total of thirty (60) cubes were prepared for testing. After 24 hours, the concrete cubes were removed
from the moulds and kept in a curing tank filled with tap water for 28 days.

4. RESULTS & DISCUSSION

a) Compressive strength
It is the most important property of concrete. Since it is widely known that concrete is good in compression,
therefore, it is necessary that any kind of partial replacement in the conventional materials o f concrete do not
hamper this property of concrete. IS 516 (1959) [7] was adhered to while determining the compressive strength of
all the specimens. The compressive strength of the concrete cubes was determined after 7 and 28 days of curing by
testing 3 concrete cubes from each mix. Average of these 3 readings was taken as the result. The target strength of
all the ten concrete mixes was fixed at 20 N/mm2 . The results of compressive strength test for each mix is
presented below and is compared with the control mix REF.

a) REF, CDW1-20, CDW1-50, CDW1-80– Figure 2 displays the results for these 4 mixes.

7 and 28-day Compressive

25
Strengths
21,2
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH (N/MM2)

7-day Compressive Strength 28-day

19,6 Compressive Strength
20
15,3
14,02
15 12,54 12,5
10,4
10 8,75

0
REF CDW1-20
MIX CDW1-50 CDW1-80
Fig 2: Displays the 7 and 28-day Compressive strength for the mixes REF, CDW1-20, CDW1-50 and
CDW1-80
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b) REF, CDW2-10, CDW2-20, CDW2-30– Figure 3 displays the results for these 4 mixes.

7 and 28-day Compressive

25
Strengths
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH (N/MM2) 21,2 21,04
20,7 Strength
20,3 Compressive
7-day Compressive Strength 28-day
20
14,02 14,07 14,72
15 12,99

10

0
REF CDW2-10
MIX CDW2-20 CDW2-30
Fig 3: Displays the 7 and 28-day Compressive strength for the mixes REF, CDW2-10, CDW2-20 and
CDW2-30
c) REF, CDW3-10, CDW3-20, CDW3-30– Figure 4 displays the results for these 4 mixes.

7 and 28-day Compressive

25
Strengths
21,2
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH (N/MM2)

7-day Compressive Strength 28-day Compressive Strength

20 16,96
14,02 14,84 13,78
15
10,17 9,79
10 8,68

0
REF CDW3-10
MIX CDW3-20 CDW3-30
Fig 4: Displays the 7 and 28-day Compressive strength for the mixes REF, CDW3-10, CDW3-20 and
CDW3-30
Workability
It is important to understand the workability of the concrete as it is an important property while working in the site.
More so in India, where for general works the amount of water is not controlled properly.
In the present study slump test was carried out for all the mixes and compared with the control mix so as to
ascertain the variations in workability for different mixes. IS 1199 (1959) [8] was adhered to while determining the
workability of all the specimens. Only results with true slump were recorded. The results of slump test are depicted
in figure 5.

SLUMP TEST R ESULTS

200
146
Slump (mm)

117 124 124 131

150 105 101 104 107
93
100
50
0

Mix

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Fig 5: Displays the slump test results of all mixes

5. CONCLUSION
a) Compressive Strength
 It was noticed that upon introduction of 20% recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) in the mix, the
compressive strength decreases and consequently goes on decreasing upon further increase (50% and
80%) in the percentage of RCA (as seen in figure 2). This can be attributed to the fact that while
demolition the aggregates undergo significant cracking, thereby decreasing the overall strength of the mix.
This result is in contrast to what was reported by Woubishet Zewdu Taffese (2018) [9], that on 10%
replacement of RCA with natural coarse aggregate (NCA) an increase in compressive strength was noted,
while a very slight decrease was reported upon 20% replacement. Woubishet ascribed it due to the shape
of RCA being angular and its rough surface texture which leads to a better bond between the cement
matrix and the particles. Also, it is widely believed that the strength of concrete from which RCA was
obtained may attribute to its properties later on.
 The replacement of fine aggregate with sanitary ware powder does not show much variation as compared
to the control mix (REF) (as seen in figure 3). It was also seen that the 7-day strength of concrete with
20% and 30% replacement of fine aggregate with sanitary ware powder was greater when compared to
REF. As observed by Halicka, Ogrodnik and Zegardlo (2013) [10] the properties of concrete with ceramic
sanitary waste do not differ much from concrete with traditional aggregates. It was also reported by them
that high performance concrete can be obtained from sanitary waste.
 The effect of using crushed tiles in partial replacement with coarse aggregate can be seen in figure 4, as
can be observed the compressive strength of mix with 10% replacement of NCA by crushed tiles
decreases the 28-day strength by 27.46% and the strength goes on decreasing marginally on further
increase of crushed tiles and decrease of NCA. This can be ascribed to the fact the tiles are flat and
angular in shape and hence do not bond as good as NCA also the glazed side of the tiles may be a barrier
between cement matrix and the tile as an aggregate. A similar result was obtained by Topcu and Canbaz
(2016) [11], who concluded that 100% replacement of NCA by crushed tiles is inappropriate; however, its
use may have positive effects on environment and hence must be further investigated.
b) Workability
The results of slump test can be seen in figure 5. As can be seen that other that REF all the other mixes have a high
slump. For mix CDW1 it can be observed that RCA may have undergone micro cracking during demolition and
hence absorbs or holds more water also increasing its porosity which might have led to this increase in slump. For
CDW2 the increase in slump is only marginal, it can be said that usage of sanitary ware powder increases the water
retention of the mix due to the fact that traditional fine aggregate also absorbs large amount of water which may
not be the case for sanitary waste powder. Hence, the increase in slump. For CDW3, it should be noted that after
many attempts which resulted in collapsed and sheared slumps this true slump value was recorded which is an
incremental increase from REF, CDW1 and CDW2 since it uses crushed tiles which are angularly and flat shaped
and also do not possess the water absorption properties of NCA which may have led to this increase in slump.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors extent their thanks to the Department of Civil Engineering, Graphic Era deemed to be University for
its full co-operation and support to make this study possible.

REFERENCES
1. BMTPC. 2016. Guidelines for Utilization of C&D Waste. New Delhi: Building Materials & Technology
Promotion Council
2. TIFAC. 2001. Utilisation of Waste from Construction Industry. New Delhi: Department of Science and
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3. Bansal, A., Mishra, G. and Bishnoi, S., 2016. Recycling and Reuse of Construction and Demolition waste:
sustainable approach. In The 7th International Conference on Sustainable Built Environment .
4. Soares, D., De Brito, J., Ferreira, J. and Pacheco, J., 2014. Use of coarse recycled aggregates from precast
concrete rejects: Mechanical and durability performance. Construction and Building Materials, 71, pp.263-
272.
5. Indian Standard (IS:2386, Parts I-IV). (1963). Method of test for aggregates for concrete. Bureau of Indian
Standards, Manak Bhavan, 9 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi, 110002.
6. Indian Standard (IS:4031, Parts III, IV&VI). (1996). Methods of physical tests for hydraulic cement. Bureau
of Indian Standards, Manak Bhavan, 9 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi, 110002.

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7. Indian Standard (IS:516). (1959). Method of test for strength of concrete. Bureau of Indian Standards, Manak
Bhavan, 9 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi, 110002.
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Manak Bhavan, 9 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi, 110002.
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experimental case study. Advances in Civil Engineering, 2018.
10. Halicka, A., Ogrodnik, P. and Zegardlo, B., 2013. Using ceramic sanitary ware waste as concrete
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11. Topcu, I.B. and Canbaz, M., 2007. Utilization of crushed tile as aggregate in concrete.

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