Use of Construction and Demolition Waste in Lateritic Concrete

In recent decades the problem of construction and demolition waste has been receiving more attention due to possible ecological and economic damage caused by them. This is because they are produced in large quantities and often receive inadequate disposal, being deposited illegally in vacant lots, public places and even in areas of environmental preservation. The practice of recycling of construction and demolition waste (CDW) by construction is an alternative that minimizes the amount of waste generated and the impacts caused by them. Moreover, the introduction of alternative materials might reduce the production costs of construction. In Brazil, there is great availability of lateritic concretions. This material, according to some studies, proved to be a viable alternative to be used as coarse aggregate in concrete production. In this study, it is used the CDW as a filler to replace 10% of Portland cement and, as coarse aggregate, lateritic concretions. Tests of physical properties of coarse and fine aggregates and determination of the mechanical strength of hardened concrete were made. The construction and demolition waste used as filler to replace the mass of cement in the mixture proved to be a viable alternative.