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About this paper
Morgan D. Sanger, Gabrielle Campagnola, Robin Ritchey, Tuncer B. Edil, Matthew Ginder-Vogel
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin – Madison investigated the leachate chemistry of eight-year-old, field-deployed recycled concrete aggregate (RCA), demonstrating that a modified laboratory method using gentle agitation more accurately reflects field conditions by yielding consistently lower 24-hour leachate pH values compared to conventional vigorous agitation. The study found that initial leachate pH values, which exceeded pH 10, decreased over a 24-hour period due to atmospheric carbon dioxide interaction.
Key insights
- Vigorous agitation in conventional laboratory tests likely abrades protective calcium carbonate coatings on RCA, exposing fresh cement phases and leading to an overestimation of alkalinity release and persistently high pH values.
- The initial high pH of RCA leachate naturally decreases over a 24-hour period due to the dissolution of atmospheric CO2 and subsequent chemical reactions that consume hydroxide ions, indicating a self-mitigating process.
- Minor spatial variations in RCA leachate chemistry (e.g., between centerline and driving lane samples) suggest differing levels of carbonation and portlandite content influenced by varied exposure conditions during field deployment.
Summary by alphaXiv.
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