Experimental Assessment of Reinforced Concrete Incorporating Waste Tile Powder and Metakaolin under Aggressive Environmental Conditions

Authors

  • Mohammad Kazem Sharbatdar

    Faculty of Civil Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan 35131-19111, Iran
  • Samaneh Alizadeh

    Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/jbms.v8i3.13613
Received: 9 June 2026 | Revised: 24 June 2026 | Accepted: 30 June 2026 | Published Online: 23 July 2026

Abstract

Concrete deterioration in aggressive environments poses significant challenges for the durability of reinforced concrete structures. The incorporation of supplementary cementitious materials offers a promising strategy to enhance performance while reducing cement consumption. This experimental study investigates the effects of metakaolin and waste ceramic tile powder as partial cement replacements on the compressive and flexural behavior of reinforced concrete members exposed to aggressive environmental conditions. Ten concrete mix designs were prepared with replacement levels of 10%, 20%, and 30% using metakaolin and waste tile powder. A total of 120 concrete cubes (100 mm) and 56 reinforced concrete slabs (40 × 200 × 600 mm) were cast and subjected to both standard curing and aggressive exposure regimes, including continuous immersion and alternating wet–dry cycles. The results demonstrate that the pozzolanic activity of metakaolin became more pronounced after 3–6 months, leading to enhanced mechanical performance. All mixtures containing waste tile powder exhibited higher compressive strength than the control mix. An increase of up to 11% in flexural capacity was observed for slabs incorporating 20% metakaolin, while slabs with 30% waste tile powder achieved an 8% improvement compared to lower replacement levels. Notably, specimens with 30% waste tile powder showed a significant increase in the experimental-to-nominal flexural capacity ratio, reaching values of 1.57 and 1.50 at 90 and 180 days, respectively. Overall, the combined use of metakaolin and waste tile powder improved durability and structural performance under aggressive conditions, indicating their potential for sustainable construction and rehabilitation of reinforced concrete structures.

Keywords:

Waste Ceramic Tile Powder; Metakaolin; Reinforced Concrete Durability; Aggressive Environmental Exposure; Structural Performance

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How to Cite

Sharbatdar, M. K., & Alizadeh, S. (2026). Experimental Assessment of Reinforced Concrete Incorporating Waste Tile Powder and Metakaolin under Aggressive Environmental Conditions. Journal of Building Material Science, 8(3), 48–63. https://doi.org/10.30564/jbms.v8i3.13613

Issue

Vol. 8, Iss. 3 (September 2026): In Progress

Article Type

Article

License

Copyright © 2026 Mohammad Kazem Sharbatdar, Samaneh Alizadeh

Creative Commons License

This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

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