Durability Behavior of Portland Cement Mortars with Recycled Powder from Concrete Waste as a Cement Partial Replacement: A Review

Rapid urban expansion and industrial development have significantly increased waste generation while simultaneously intensifying the demand for construction materials. This dual pressure has accelerated the depletion of natural resources and raised serious environmental concerns. To address these challenges, considerable research efforts have focused on developing sustainable cementitious materials with reduced environmental impact and improved durability performance. One promising approach involves partially substituting Portland cement (PC) with supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), which can enhance material performance while reducing environmental footprint and production costs. Recently, recycled powder (RP) derived from construction and demolition waste (CDW) has attracted growing attention as a sustainable alternative binder component. This review provides a comprehensive evaluation of the durability performance of Portland cement mortars incorporating RP obtained from concrete waste. Key durability indicators, including water absorption, capillary transport, chloride penetration resistance, freeze–thaw behavior, carbonation resistance, sulfate attack resistance, and drying shrinkage, are critically examined under various activation methods. In addition, the environmental and economic implications associated with RP utilization, including cost efficiency and CO2 emission reduction potential, are analyzed. The findings provide a structured understanding of RP activation strategies and their effectiveness in improving the durability and sustainability of cement-based materials.