Recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) made from waste concrete is not a suitable structural material as it has high absorption of cement mortar, which adheres on the aggregate surface and on the tiny cracks thereon. Therefore, when using RCA made from waste concrete, much water must be added with the concrete, and slump loss occurs when transporting. Hence, its workability is significantly worse than that of other materials. In this study, surface of RCA was coated with water-soluble polycarboxylate (PC) dispersant so that its characteristics improved. Each possibility was evaluated: whether its slump loss can be controlled, by measuring its workability based on the elapsed time; and whether it can be used as a structural material, by measuring its strength. Moreover, the carbonation due to cement mortar adhesion was measured through a carbonation test. As a result, RCA coated with PC dispersant was found to be better than crushed coarse aggregate and RCA when the physical properties of the fresh concrete and the mechanical, durability of the hardened concrete were tested.

Various self-healing methods for concrete, such as the use of supplementary cementitious materials, adhesive agents, mineral admixtures, and bacteria, have been suggested to date, and each of these has merits and demerits. Among these, however, the use of cementitious materials may be appropriate due to their good healing efficiency, low cost, and compatibility with the cement matrix. In this study, granulation and coating methods were applied to a new cementitious composite material. The self-healing property of these materials was controlled by the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) coating until cracks were created. Water dissolved the PVA coating after entering through the cracks, and reacted with the healing materials to generate healing products. The self-healing performance was evaluated at various elapsed times through the measurement of the crack widths, visual observation, and examination of the microscopic images. Simultaneously, a water permeability test was performed and the dynamic modulus of elasticity was measured to verify the recovery of the cracks. In addition, the healing products that had been formed in the cracks were analyzed via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).