Recycled coarse aggregate sourced from demolition of large panel system buildings: fundamental properties and perspectives for application

Abstract

Large Panel System (LPS) buildings constructed before 1990 constitute a significant portion of the national housing stock in many Central and Eastern European countries. While these buildings often exhibit flaws such as imperfect prefab dimensions and unstable construction joints, their concrete panels remain in satisfactory condition. The ongoing debate about whether to modernize or demolish these structures mirrors the trend in Western Europe, where LPS buildings have largely been dismantled—a trend likely to extend to Central and Eastern Europe. Despite this, little research has been conducted on recycling concrete panels from LPS demolitions. To mitigate future concrete waste accumulation, this study evaluates the properties of Recycled Coarse Aggregate (RCA) obtained from LPS demolition and assesses its potential use in concrete. The proposed RCA is compared to similar recycled coarse aggregate sources. Results indicate that LPS-derived RCA differs in several key aspects: it has lower density (2.24–2.47% compared to literature averages), lower water absorption (3.81–4.58%), lower mortar content (12.57–40.82%), and lower abrasion resistance (16.39–31.3 MDE). Due to its high water absorption and favorable grain shape (1.22 SF vs. 0.83 SF literature average), LPS-derived RCA is particularly suitable for concrete mixes with high water demand, offering potential benefits for fresh concrete properties.