The removal of red ceramic residues from mixed construction and demolition waste (CDW) is a priority if that waste is to be used as recycled aggregates in concrete. There are many processing techniques that fit this purpose, with different separation principles, efficiency levels, costs and environmental impacts. The main advantage of optical sorting is lower use of water or energy when compared with other processing techniques. The aim of this paper is to analyze the products obtained by automatic optical sorting, focusing on the removal of red ceramic from mixed CDW recycled coarse aggregates and the expected porosity reduction for their use in concrete. The product obtained is mainly composed of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA), with water absorption levels from 4 to 7%. In Brazil, contents of about 5% of red ceramic in the product (sorted aggregates) can be expected, and the production of 20-30 MPa concrete with this material is feasible.
Construction and demolition waste; Optical sorting; Mixed recycled aggregates; Concrete
