Handbook of Recycled Concrete and Demolition Waste
About this book
The Handbook of Recycled Concrete and Demolition Waste, edited by Fernando Pacheco-Torgal alongside co-editors Vivian W. Y. Tam, Joao A.
Labrincha, Yining Ding, and Jorge de Brito, was published in 2013 by Woodhead Publishing (an imprint of Elsevier) as volume 47 in the Woodhead Publishing Series in Civil and Structural Engineering. It represents one of the most comprehensive technical and scientific treatments of a subject that has become central to sustainable construction practice: the challenge of diverting the enormous volumes of concrete and mixed construction and demolition (C&D) waste generated globally from landfill, and redirecting those materials back into productive use in new construction. The construction industry is among the largest producers of solid waste in the world.
Concrete alone, by far the most widely used manufactured material on earth, contributes enormous quantities to demolition waste streams every time a structure is dismantled. The environmental case for finding high-value uses for this material — rather than downcycling it into road sub-base fill or disposing of it in landfills — is compelling both in terms of raw material conservation and in terms of the avoided carbon emissions associated with producing virgin aggregate, cement, and concrete from scratch. This handbook systematically addresses the science, engineering, logistics, economics, and environmental assessment of making this circular transition viable at scale.
The work is organized into three thematically coherent parts. The first part addresses the management of construction and demolition waste as a system-level challenge. It examines methodologies for developing and implementing waste management plans, techniques for quantifying and forecasting waste generation rates on specific project types, the technical and logistical requirements for establishing effective waste recycling infrastructure — including the optimal siting of processing facilities relative to demolition and construction activity — and the economic drivers and barriers that influence industry uptake of recycling solutions.
This part also explores the comparison between selective or soft demolition approaches and conventional destructive demolition, arguing that pre-demolition audits and careful material segregation at source are prerequisites for achieving high-quality recycled output. The second part, which constitutes the technical core of the handbook, examines the material science and engineering performance of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA). Contributors analyze the processes of crushing, sorting, cleaning, and grading concrete rubble into usable aggregate fractions, as well as the quality control procedures necessary to produce consistent feedstocks.
The fundamental challenge with RCA is the presence of residual cement paste adhering to the surface of recycled particles, which increases water absorption, reduces density, and can negatively affect the mechanical properties and durability of concrete produced with recycled content. The handbook's chapters in this part provide detailed technical analysis of how RCA affects workability, compressive strength, tensile strength, shrinkage, creep, and long-term durability — including resistance to chloride penetration, carbonation, and freeze-thaw cycles. Guidance is also provided on mix design optimization strategies that can compensate for the inferior characteristics of RCA relative to primary natural aggregate, enabling engineers to produce structurally adequate concrete within acceptable performance specifications.
The third part extends the analysis to specific end-use applications and broader environmental assessment. Chapters examine the use of recycled aggregates in road and pavement construction, where performance requirements may be less demanding than in structural concrete and where RCA has achieved significant commercial uptake in many countries. The application of recycled C&D materials in high-performance concrete formulations and in alkali-activated or geopolymer cement systems — binders that eliminate Portland cement entirely and carry significantly lower embodied carbon footprints — is also addressed, opening perspectives on a doubly sustainable material pathway.
The environmental assessment chapters provide a rigorous framework for evaluating the ecological impacts of using recycled aggregates, covering the removal and management of hazardous materials present in demolition waste streams, particularly gypsum, asbestos-containing materials, and concrete affected by alkali-silica reaction (ASR). Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology is applied systematically, comparing the environmental burdens of recycled aggregate concrete production against equivalent virgin-material concrete on a cradle-to-gate basis, and including case study analyses that quantify the carbon savings achievable through substitution. Throughout the handbook, the contributors — drawn from leading research institutions across Europe, Asia, and beyond — maintain a dual focus on scientific rigor and practical implementability.
The work acknowledges that the construction industry operates within economic constraints and regulatory frameworks that shape what is technically feasible, and that the transition to widespread use of recycled concrete will require not only better material science but also improved policy instruments, procurement standards, and quality assurance schemes. The handbook thus serves as both a technical reference for researchers and engineers and a policy-relevant compendium for regulators and sustainability professionals working at the intersection of circular economy principles and the built environment.