RAPCON Project: Sustainable Concrete Made with Recycled Asphalt Pavement

This paper reports some of the outcomes of RAPCON, a 3-year-project financed by Fondazione Cariplo in the framework of the 2019 Call “Scientific Research – Circular Economy for a Sustainable Future”. The main objectives of RAPCON project were (i) the investigation of the use of RAP (Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement) as replacement of natural aggregates in concrete to study mechanical, microstructural and durability performances of RAP-based concrete; (ii) the assessment of the expected service life of concrete with increasing RAP content and determination of relevant environmental impacts by life cycle analysis (LCA); (iii) draft proposal of an European Assessment Document (EAD) aimed at the certification procedures of RAP as aggregate for concrete. RAPCONproject allowed the analysis of a complete scenario related to the use of RAP as replacement of natural aggregates for structural concrete, highlighting the advantages and limitations related to the material, environmental and cost impacts and industrialization.