Circular Economy in Construction Industry: sanitary ware waste used in concrete

production

Eduardo Melo de Andrade Silva*, Eduardo Henrique Silva Alves, Lucas Moreira
Ferreira, Igor Rafael Buttignol de Oliveira, Carolina Del Roveri

Post-Graduate Program in Materials and Science Engineering, Federal University of Alfenas, Rodovia José
Aurélio Vilela, Km 533 11999 - Cidade Universitária, Poços de Caldas-MG, Brazil

Abstract

The construction industry is one of Brazil’s most relevant economic fields since it contributes towards the
increase in employment numbers and consequently improving population income and currency circulation
nationwide. Concrete is the most important product in this industry as it is used for both structural and non-
structural purposes and it is, excluding water, the most widely used item worldwide. This study aimed to
analyse the impact of replacing#0 gravel from standard concrete for sanitary ware waste (as a coarse
aggregate) in 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% proportions and to understand the details of this replacing raw
material. For fresh-state concrete analysis, all formulations were workable and without any apparent
segregation between the materials, which is essential for its use. The study of hard-state concrete, more
specifically its compressive strength, showed that all traces may be used in structural applications. The best
compression test result after 28 days was the total replacement of the gravel by sanitary ware waste
(reaching a characteristic strength of about 36MPa), followed by C75 trace (35MPa), which exceeded the
reference concrete performance (34MPa). #0 gravel was the only one to present a result lower than concrete,
C50 trace reached similar values, with 33.5MPa mechanical resistance, while C25 had below-than-expected
results (28MPa). With microscopy scanning electronics analyzes were possible to detect more specific
characteristics in relation to the arrangement of the structure compounds and anchoring of coarse aggregates
in the cementitious matrix (cement paste - aggregate interface). Regarding the anchoring of coarse
aggregates in the cementitious matrix, the greater fixation of the natural aggregate (gravel 0) in comparison
with the recycled aggregate (sanitary wastes) was notorious. The first proved to be more wrapped in the
cement paste as a whole and, the second only as a neighborhood - without a strong relationship in this
interface of concrete constituent elements.

1. Introduction

The initial concern of any construction enterprise is not generating solid waste, which is a very difficult
task to master. If it cannot be achieved, there is an order of priority to meet sustainability parameters such
as reduction, reuse, recycling, waste treatment and proper waste disposal from the most diverse areas [1].

Waste production is unavoidable in most industries since waste is generated in all processes, from the
simplest to the most complex industrial outputs. Waste is often linked to something that needs to be
removed from society and is no longer useful. However, considering that 40% of such waste could be
recycled, it may be stated that some values are being rescued by non-waste, separation at source and
productive recycling chain [2].

The products used in daily life were mostly designed without giving any real attention to the raw materials
to be consumed and the allocation at the end of their life cycle. This system, called linear economy, has the
prerogative to "extract, transform and discard". In the long run, such an approach contributes to the
exhaustion of non-renewable sources on the planet, generating waste either purposeless or harmful to living
beings and the environment [3].

As an alternative to this culture of waste, there has been a growing discussion about the so-called circular
economy. This subject has been around for decades, but the discussion about its actual implementation is
recent. The products, in this production mode, are designed for reuse, repair, refurbishment or
remanufacturing. With the increasing concern of companies and consumers with environmental
preservation, such cycle of maximum use is becoming increasingly necessary [3].

This model is intended to link business and the transformation of materials as the circular economy creates
products and services efficiently. More specifically, so-called organic products return to the food chain and
agriculture while technical materials may be put back into production without losing quality [4].

The management of companies is challenging since it requires new structures and procedures that make
their greater commitment to innovation clear within the company. The path to the extended value proposal
is related to business models and services aligned with sustainable production [5].

Ceramic degradation, in terms of time, is extremely long (ranging 4,000 years) and, for that, it has a great
accumulation potential in the environment [6]. Its use as raw material for concrete production is seen as
one of the best ways to reuse it since it does not require special processing for its use as aggregate [7].

In the ceramic sanitary ware production process, there will inevitably be a percentage of defective products
that cannot be traded, despite all improvements along the production line. The two main reasons for their
rejection during the production process are the breakage and the dimensional and shape variations in the
finished product. Both defects do not affect the intrinsic properties of the material, making them a good
aggregate replacement for use in concrete [8].

The specimens behavior was analyzed at 28 days for compressive strength and tensile tests, replacing 15,
20 and 25% of gravel by sanitary ware and compared them with the reference specimen (without any
replacement). The results showed that the higher the replacement percentage of traditional aggregate by the
solid waste, the better the compressive strength values (the 25% replacement reached a result 12% higher
than the reference concrete) and the tensile values were quite similar to the traditional concrete. For
microstructure, the higher the aggregate replacement percentage, the higher the porosity in the concrete due
to the gravel having a better anchorage in the aggregate-cement paste transition zone [8].

The authors repeated the replacement of gravel by sanitary ware waste at 15, 20 and 25%, proportions,
comparing them with a reference concrete. The compression tests were performed at 7, 28 and 90 days
where the specimens with replacement showed a better result in all periods. That also occurred for the
tensile test (but only for the 28 curing days). It was also noted that the aggregate - cement paste transitional
zone was narrower, more compact and less porous, which may justify the better mechanical behavior of
concrete with the sanitary ware as a coarse aggregate [9].

In another study, the coarse aggregate was completely replaced by the sanitary ware waste and mechanical
resistance tests at room temperature and high temperature (1000ºC) were performed. At room temperature,
high performance of concrete added with solid waste was noted (compression and tensile), as well as high
abrasion resistance. After heating to 1000ºC, sanitary ware preserved its shape but had a decrease in strength
to compression and tensile (46% and 54%, respectively), which also occurs to several other types of
concrete [6].

For the class of materials, concrete is a composite essentially comprised of a medium bind with particles or
fragments of aggregates inserted in its matrix. Its basic composition is formed by a binder (the cement),
one or more materials (coarse and fine aggregates) and water and, in cases where special properties are
desired, additives of various kinds are also inserted in its formulation. Such composition makes it a porous
material, with a heterogeneous and extremely complex structure [10].

When mixing the materials, the mixture must show plasticity properties that favors the handling and laying
of concrete and, later, obtain cohesion and mechanical resistance. These characteristics are found in this
material, specifically, by the reactions that occur between the agglomerate and water, called hydration
reaction [11].

This aggregate-cement paste interface presents a greater amount of voids compared to any other generic
point in the concrete body (hydrated cement or aggregate), and these voids may cause different behavior
when submitting concrete to different types of stress [12].

The interface zone microstructure in concrete varies largely by the characteristic found in the cement paste,
such as porosity, elongated CH crystals precipitation by the hydration reactions and a large amount of
ettringite in the area. A better understanding of this zone might bring more accurate explanations in relation
to its macro-structural performance in terms of compressive strength and other parameters [13].

When concrete is submitted to tensile stress, a generic failure is formed in the cement paste generating
localized material weakening, which increases as the applied tensile increases leading to micro-cracks
propagation. For compression, rupture occurs by indirect tensile, with an interconnection between the
micro-cracks disintegrating the concrete - mainly in the transition zone – thus, causing a sharp superficial
displacement and the concrete disintegration [14].

It is worth mentioning that the transition zone is considered the limit of resistance in concrete. The presence
of this interface is directly linked to the failures in the material by a considered low resistance value, as
well as it withstands much fewer tensile compared to cement paste or aggregates, separately [15].
2. Materials and Methods

2.1 Materials

The selection of raw materials for concrete production was done according to the standard concrete
production criteria (commonly used in the day-to-day construction industry).

The specifications of materials were as follows: Portland cement type CP II - E – 32, natural riverbed coarse
sand, commercial gravel - 4,8mm to 9,5mm average size, quality-control-failed sanitary ware waste and
jaw-crusher fragmented and water from the local public grid.

2.2 Methods

The quality of large-scale concrete depends directly on the quality of raw materials used in its production.
The first key point is to determine the aggregates grain size used, done as per ABNT NBR 248:2011[16]
standard.

Sanitary ware waste was analyzed separately by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique, to obtain
data related to two important regions of this ceramic, the inner and outer surface, which is called enamel or
glaze. It should be pointed out that before this analysis, the waste fragment surface was metallized for
electrons conduction since the ceramic has very low electrical conductivity.

For concrete specimens’ production in a laboratory and standardized way, components preparation and
control for concrete production were followed by NBR 12655:2006 standard [17]. Specimens molding in
cylindrical format (20cm height and 10cm diameter) and curing process followed ABNT NBR 5738:2015
standard [18].

For fresh-state concrete, the workability analysis (slump test) was performed as per ABNT NBR NM 67:
1998 standard [19] and for hard-state concrete, the compression strength was determined as per ABNT
NBR 5739:2007 standard [20].

The ruptured specimen samples were also analyzed by SEM, as it was done with ceramic ware, to
investigate aggregate anchorage in the cement paste (interface), as well as the elements present in the
studied area.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1 Grain size

To gather more data about the raw materials, grain size analyses by sieving were performed for both the
crushed sanitary ware and the # 0 gravel, using opening sieves from 12,5mm to 0,15mm (normal and
intermediate series) (Figure 1).
Figure 1. (a) Comparative bar chart of retained percentage for #0 gravel and sanitary ware waste; (b)
Particle size curve for #0 gravel and sanitary ware waste.

When comparing the aggregate normally used in concrete (#0 gravel) and ground sanitary ware, it was
noted that the 6.3 mm sieve was the dimensional composition with the closest relationship between these
two aggregates. It is known that the sanitary ware has a greater grain size compared to gravel, thusthe 9.5
mm sieve showed the largest amount of that material retained in the analysis.

It should be highlighted that #0 gravel had a considerable amount of material retained in both the 4.8 mm
and 3.35 mm sieves, while the sanitary ware has less than 10%. Analyses showed that the standard
deviations for #0 gravel in the 6.3 mm and 2.4 mm sieves and for the sanitary ware in the 12.5 mm and 6.3
mm sieves were the largest in the analysis, showing a discrepancy in the samples average higher than all
the other intervals, however, not higher than 4%, which may be considered satisfactory for such an analysis.

It was noted that the passing amount of #0 gravel was larger in the first sieves (larger opening ones) - for
its finer characteristic size – and it also had more retained material in the last ones of the series compared
to sanitary ware waste, which showed to be comparatively larger in the entire grain-size test.

3.2 Sanitary ware waste scanning electron microscopy

The sanitary ware waste has two very distinct regions: an external one which is impermeable and resistant
to chemical attacks, called enamel or glaze (Figure 2) and the internal region, which does not have a specific
name and, for this reason, was named internal part (Figure 3). A study of both parts of this ceramic waste
was performed with scanning electron microscopy technique to analyze variations and specifications.
Figure 2. Glazing SEM micrographs (a) 120x magnification; (b) 500x magnification; (c) 1000x
magnification; (d) 2000x magnification. Images Obtained by backscattered Electrons.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) allowed to check the arrangement of a homogeneous, darker colored
layer, such as the image background, as well as a large number of small, light gray colored elements,
positioned slightly organized and closer to each other. As the magnification increased, it was detected that
particles did not have a well-defined shape, and some had a pointed appearance.
Figure 3. Internal area SEM photomicrographs (a) 250x magnification; (b) 500x magnification; (c) 1000x
magnification; (d) 2000x magnification. Images obtained by Secondary Electrons.

In the same way, as found glazing region surface analysis, the internal region micrographs showed a darker-
greyish background, however, with irregular topography. As the magnification was increased, it could be
seen that the whole structure is formed by pores with a shapeless and unordered geometry. Some
particularities were found, such as a large number of micropores inside the solid waste as well as small
shapeless particles deposited in the structure [6].

The characteristics presented in the border region between the external area and the internal area of the
sanitary wastes were very similar to that found in this work, as rounded elements in the glaze - which are
possibly pores - and in the internal part several small holes, which are characteristic of micropores in
internal ceramic regions for sanitary ware [9].

3.3 Slump Test

For fresh-state concrete properties, it may be stated that all formulations - both reference and replaced with
sanitary ware - proved to be workable and, visually, no type of water runoff in the paste was noted. It is
worth mentioning that the paste was homogeneous in all formulations, with no segregation in any of its
portion (Table 1).
 Table 1.Slump Test values for concretes in different formulations

Slump Test
Formulation Height [cm] Rebating [cm] Consistency
CR 25.5 4.5 Firm
C25 15.0 15.0 Soft
C50 16.0 14.0 Soft
C75 18.5 11.5 Medium
C100 26.0 4.0 Firm

By analyzing the concrete rebating values, each formulation could be classified according to the
characteristic consistency class. By CR, it was classified as firm, due to the finer#0 gravel sizes presenting
interesting plasticity taking into account its texture and densification.

On the other hand, C100 formulation, which was also classified as firm, showed a thicker and harder
concrete paste, making it difficult to densify it in the specimens molding and to handle it, producing various
concrete samples with voids and segregation in the lower region. A more detailed study of the H: C ratio
could be taken to correct such fault, but it is not in the scope of this study.

The formulations with 25% and 50% of sanitary ware replacement had similar rebating results, 15 and 14
cm, respectively. For consistency, they were classified as soft and both proved to be easy to be densified
both in handling and in filling the concrete molds.

Lastly, the C75 was classified with a medium consistency having good workability, with a paste of plastic
texture and easy handling. For this formulation, concrete in laboratory testsproved to be viable for use in
jobs that require an easy densification paste.

3.4 Mechanical Compressive Strength

For all formulations, the average (fcm), characteristic (fck) concrete compressive strength values and the
standard deviation (SD) at a 28-day wet curing period are seen in Table 2.

Table 2. Concrete compressive strength at 28 curing days

Compressive Strength
Age [days] CR C25 C50 C75 C100
43.29 36.92 39.47 39.15 31.19*
40.74 34.38 42.02 36.92 38.20
28 40.74 33.10 40.74 44.56 47.11
24.83* 30.56 35.65 45.20 42.02
40.11 36.92 42.65 43.29 22.91*
𝑓𝑐𝑚 41.22 34.38 40.11 41.83 42.44
𝑓𝑐𝑘 34.62 27.78 33.51 35.23 35.84
SD 1.412 2.701 2.775 3.613 4.471
Also, some specimens did not have a good aggregation between cement paste and coarse aggregates and,
for this reason, their numerical values were discarded to obtain a more reliable mechanical resistance value
(such numbers had a result far below expected and were marked with an asterisk). A line chart was
constructed using the characteristic average mechanical compressive strength values (𝒇𝒄𝒌 ) at 28 days,
(Figure 3).

Compressive Strength (28 days)

41,00
Resistência à Compressão ]MPa}

39,00
37,00
35,00
33,00
31,00
29,00
27,00
25,00
23,00
CR C25 C50 C75 C100

Figure 4. Compressive Strength Chart for Concrete Formulations

By analysing both results the compression test and the standard deviations obtained for the specimens, it
was noted that the concrete mechanical strength using sanitary ware waste was similar to those that used
only #0 gravel (CR). The fact that the concrete formulations using this solid waste did not lose their main
property (compressive strength) is of extreme technological importance.

All traces at 28 days, except the formulation with 25% sanitary ware replacement (C25), reached a
satisfactory result of about 35 MPa. It is of utmost importance to highlight that the results of the older ages
were the most relevant since they are used for structural calculations.

When comparing the characteristic mechanical strength for each concrete formulation produced as per
ABNT NBR 8953: 2015 standard [21], the produced concrete are classified as Group I (maximum
resistance up to 50 MPa). More specifically, the CR, C50, C75 and C100 traces belong to C35 group, having
a 35MPa characteristic compressive strength, while the C25 trace belongs to C30 group, with 30MPa
characteristic compressive strength.

Another study which the authors also substituted gravel for waste sanitary ware [22], the results were, for
the most part, very close. With the exception of C50 - which obtained values well above the average of all
others - and C25 - which showed a much lower result - the compressive strength performed better as the
crushed stone was replaced by the tailings.
For the first ages (3 and 7 days), the compressive strength values of the comparison work obtained better
results: close to 12MPa in relation to 10MPa for the 3 days; 22MPa compared to 18MPa for the 7 days. In
contrast, for the 28-day specimens, this study showed more satisfactory results, with an average value of
35MPa compared to 25MPa [22].

In another work the 𝑓𝑐𝑘 calculation was not performed, however, the values obtained from its compressive
strength tests (𝑓𝑐𝑚) were very satisfactory [23]. At 28 days of curing, the reference concrete reached the
highest value among the formulations (48.44MPa) while the one with 100% substitution presented
47.78MPa. It should also be noted that all values were above or very close to 45MPa, which is above the
best result of this work (42.44MPa in C100 concrete).

In this study, compressive strength had a subtle performance improvement as the gravel was replaced by
sanitary ware waste, except for C25 formulation, which showed a result far below the others.

3.6 Rupture Path

The compression test is performed by an electronic machine, with the specimens compressed at a constant
speed until total rupture, to identify the types of ruptures that occurred in each concrete formulation. For
the ruptures performed, it was noted that the specimens ruptured by pure shear (cracks occurring diagonally)
and in a bipartite conical shape (cracks occurred from the upper region to the reach of its base), as seen in
Figure 4.
Figure 5. Rupture path inside the specimens. (a) CR; (b) C25; (c) C50; (d) C75; (e) C100

For CR formulation (Figure 5a), it was verified that the specimens had a shearing rupture with a diagonal
propagation of cracks. Moreover, it was noted that the ruptures occurred in the region where the cement
paste was present, with the crack propagating either through it or in the interface between the paste and the
coarse aggregate (#0 gravel).

C25 (Figure 5b) had a sheared diagonal rupture similar to the reference formulation. The fragments of
sanitary ware were visible inside the specimen and their distribution with #0 gravel occurred randomly.
Also, no segregation occurred in these specimens since both the sanitary ware and the gravel are visually
well anchored to the cement paste.

The similar proportions between the two types of aggregate used in C50 concrete production (Figure 5c)
showed their ability to perform the same functions and that their rupture occurred by diagonal compression
force, similar to CR and C25. In visual terms, no segregation between the constituents of the specimens
occurred, causing the cracks to propagate through the cement paste and its interface with coarse aggregates
(both the sanitary ware and #0 gravel).

For C75 (Figure 5d), the specimens after the rupture had a characteristic shape, different from the previous
formulations caused by the top to bottom propagation path taken by the cracks, thus characterized by a
bipartite conical rupture.

The greater use of volumetric space inside the concrete added with sanitary ware waste was also noted,
which was due to its larger grain size compared to #0 gravel, present in the previously produced concrete.
For this reason, crack propagation occurred virtually throughout the entire sanitary ware-cement paste
interface since #0 gravel was well-aggregated to the paste in this formulation.

For the C100 concrete (Figure 5e), the internal part of the sanitary ware waste (ceramic paste) was more
often seen in the path taken by the crack when compared to the glazing region. Such observation is of
utmost importance to analyse the real influence of enamel on the anchorage of this solid waste as a coarse
aggregate replacement.

For the total gravel replacement formulation, the volumetric space taken by the sanitary ware was visibly
larger, thus making the cement paste volume smaller when compared to all the other traces. With the greater
amount of specimen volume occupancy by sanitary ware waste, its fragments in the concrete were closer
to one another, causing less aggregation among its components.

3.7 Concrete Formulations Scanning Electronic Microscopy

Scanning electron microscopy on concrete specimens was performed after their rupture for a better analysis
as to the interface between the critical path and the coarse aggregates anchorage in the cement matrix. SEM
images were produced for all formulation as shown in Figures 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
Figure 6. Reference concrete SEM photomicrographs (a) 100x magnification; (b) 200x magnification; (c)
500x magnification. Images obtained by secondary electrons.

Figure 6a shows the 100x magnification, where the cement paste surface has a less regular topographic
conformation (more shapeless) as opposed to the aggregate that showed a smoother topography.

Figures 6b and 5c present the 200x and 500x magnifications, showing more precisely an appropriate coarse
aggregate anchorage in the cement paste. The importance of such proper anchorage is to provide a better
aggregate-paste interaction since it is the most fragile region of the material. This interface has a greater
crack-growing tendency and subsequent rupture, and the arrangement of the components is directly related
to the concrete mechanical strength (to compression).

The micrograph in another work showed that even though the cement paste - coarse aggregate interface
appears to be a firmer and more enveloping form, the authors state that the conditions of the natural
aggregate have more pores and a lesser proximity to the elements present in this region [9].
Figure 7. C25 SEM photomicrographs (a) 100x magnification; (b) 200x magnification; (c) 500x
magnification; (d) 1000x magnification. Images obtained by secondary electrons.

The SEM images showed that in all magnifications - 200x, 500x, 1000x and 2000x - the captured and
presented region refers only to cement paste. For that reason, no assertive analysis was possible for the
interaction between the formulation of constituent aggregates and cement paste.

The cement paste is presented in two very distinct ways. Figure 7d shows a smoother and more
homogeneous region on the left, while more deformed contours and smaller portions are seen on the right.
Even though both regions are referred to as cement paste, distinct hydrated compounds are found in each
of these regions.

Above the reported area, a region that had only the cement paste was noticed, without any aggregate-cement
paste interaction, which may also have indirectly affected the material mechanical strength, which might
have been caused by a less efficient mixture of raw materials on concrete production.
Figure 8. C50 SEM photomicrographs (a) 100x magnification; (b) 200x magnification; (c) 500x
magnification; (d) 1000x magnification. Images obtained by secondary electrons.

The regions are very distinct and Figure 8b shows a visual differentiation between them. Figures 8c and 8d,
due to their greater magnification, show more evidently the specific surfaces of both cement paste, on the
left and the right.

When comparing the micrographs (with sanitary ware waste) with those from Figure 6 (with #0 gravel),
the anchorage is visibly not so firm. Figures 8c and 8d showed a quite evident cracking path exactly at the
cement paste-aggregate interface, which may harm the mechanical strength as a whole.

According to another work, can be seen in Figure 8c and 8d an intermediate region between the left and
right sides, a region that received the name of dense zone, because it presents a smaller fraction of pore
volume and calcium hydroxide (CH) [13]. The dense zone, in the Chinese study, was something pre-
defined, since the authors made the addition of cement, coarse aggregates and water to the mixer first.

This was done in order to form a cement paste that would totally involve the coarse aggregate and, only
after a few moments of this mixture, it would be added to sand (fine aggregate), which would result in the
so-called new aggregate - paste interface zone. of cement. This finding also relates to the porosity, that
there was a decrease, and the resistance to compression, which had a small increase, with the use of sanitary
wastes in the formulation of concrete [13].

Figure 9. C75 SEM photomicrographs (a) 100x magnification; (b) 200x magnification; (c) 500x
magnification; (d) 1000x magnification. Images obtained by secondary electrons.

More at the center of the image, it is possible to see #0 gravel in a more pointed format, identified by its
more homogeneous and smoother surface. The cement paste, which is at the right, is identified in a more
shapeless and complex shape since it is a heterogeneous raw materials mixture.

Figures 9c and 9d, magnified at 500x and 1000x respectively, showed that #0 gravel and cement paste
presented a rupture path between these two elements, even with well-performed anchorage. Another point
worth mentioning is the difference in topography between the aggregates - smoother - and the cement, with
several levels of topographic height due to a complex characteristic.

In micrographs of Figure 9, in another work [9], elements of concrete are shown in their right region and
this region, in particular, is possible to see rod-shaped elements in a more whitish coloration (the upper
region), which is characterized as etringite. In the region below the same image, more deformed and
rounded elements can be observed, which is hydrated calcium silicate (C-S-H).

As noted both in Figure 9c and Figure 9d, it is possible to verify a darker region further to the center of the
micrograph, which was called in the work the dense zone, a place that has less CH and pores [13].
Paralleling another work showed that is possible to evaluate that a concrete made with natural aggregate
(gravel 0), presents a greater compaction in the paste - aggregate interface and a smaller number of pores,
which in this work showed to have insulating properties [24].
Figure 10. C100 SEM photomicrographs (a) 100x magnification; (b) 200x magnification; (c) 500x
magnification; (d) 1000x magnification. Images obtained by secondary electrons.

Figures 10c and 10d show that a firm anchorage is not noticed, despite the elements being side by side, as
is usually observed when using gravel as a coarse aggregate in concrete production. Analyzing the
composite’s conformation, it is as if they were side by side, one component with the other, however, lacking
a strong and compact interaction.

4. Conclusion

According to the results presented, it was concluded that the coarse aggregate, most commonly used in the
construction industry, may be replaced by sanitary ware waste fragmented into concrete, without decreasing
its mechanical compressive strength. The values obtained were satisfactory for using the concrete for
structural purposes.

Visually and from initial naked-eye analysis, the coarse aggregates anchorage in the cementitious matrix
did not show any tendency for the cracks propagation due more to the sanitary ware waste than to the gravel,
presenting this solid waste as a good replacement. Overall, no pattern of rupture was confirmed when
comparing the concrete coarse aggregates and it was possible to detect that the rupture preferential path
passes through the internal region of the sanitary ware waste.
To conclude, the micrographs obtained by the scanning electron microscopy technique showed that #0
gravel was more firmly fixed in the cementitious matrix compared to sanitary ware waste, thus
demonstrating a better anchorage and possibly a more compact aggregate-cement paste interface.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel
(CAPES), the Funding Authority for Studies and Projects (FINEP) and the Post-Graduate Program in
Materials and Science Engineering (PPGCEM) of Minas Gerais State University (UNIFAL–MG) for their
support.

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