Sustainable solutions for structural concrete – research conducted by Belgrade’s concrete structures research group over the last decade

Abstract

During the last decade, a comprehensive experimental and numerical research on various sustainable concrete options for application in concrete structures was performed at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Belgrade. Several types of green concrete mix designs were investigated: recycled aggregate concrete (RAC), high-volume fly ash concrete (HVFAC), alkali activated fly ash concrete (AAFAC) as well as their combinations. Numerous tests on material physical, mechanical and durability related properties were conducted as well as sustainability assessments of the structural use of such concretes. Structural behavior under short and long-term loading was investigated on full-scale reinforced concrete beams and recommendations for the design of structural members including strength, serviceability and durability were proposed. The work carried out by the group formed a significant part of the basis for RAC provisions in the new Eurocode 2-revision and the fib Model Code 2020.