Recycled aggregates are not a problem of intent. They are a problem of command. This programme hands you the method: not slides, but protocols you can apply at the plant the following week.
You want to bring in recycled aggregates. In the field, it jams.
On paper, everyone wants more recycled aggregates. In production, the trouble arrives fast: water absorption that nobody anticipated throws the w/c ratio off, workability turns unstable, admixtures need constant adjustment, and design offices stay sceptical about variability and durability.
The usual outcome: you dump your stock, or you over-dose the cement to be safe. You stay the region's low-cost supplier instead of a credible player in the circular economy. And every tonne of recycled aggregate you bring in costs you more in adjustments than it earns you in added value.
The real question is not "should we use recycled aggregates?" Everyone says yes. The real question: how do you bring them in without weakening performance, compliance, margins and production?
Recycled aggregates take up 2 to 10 % water, against 0.5 to 2 % for natural ones. Without an effective water correction, the real w/c ratio drifts and the 28-day strengths land below target.
PCE superplasticisers adsorb onto the residual mortar of recycled aggregates before they act on the concrete. An unanticipated 20 to 50 % over-consumption means lost workability or an admixture bill that explodes.
Design offices and inspection bodies block recycled aggregate mixes for want of traceability. With no documented quality plan, every site starts again from zero.
NF P 18-545 sets limits by structure type (20 %, 30 %, 50 %). Exceeding them without normative justification opens the door to non-conformities and refusals on delivery.
The CIRCLE method: from the data sheet to production under control
The programme does not just stack up knowledge. It gives you a six-step decision framework, to move from a mix that is theoretically acceptable to one that is controlled, verified and ready for industrial production.
Read the data sheet, measure the absorption, identify the category (RA, RCL, RCU) per NF EN 12620.
Exposure class (XC, XD, XF, XS, XA), type of structure, replacement rate allowed under NF P 18-545.
Correct the effective water, pick the cement family that suits recycled aggregates (CEM III first), check the w/equivalent binder ratio.
Adapt the PCE dosages, exploit the slag/fly ash/silica fume synergies, optimise the grading curve.
Test protocols adapted to recycled aggregates, quality plan, compliance file for the inspection body.
Production work instruction, in-house checks at the plant, batch traceability, defending the technical file.
Full structure of the training
0
Learning how to learn
Online learning method + VISAA
5 chapters
The fundamentals of online learning; how to organise your working sessions; the classic mistakes to avoid.
An optimised learning setup and a working routine you can apply from day one.
The cognitive biases that sabotage learning; fixed versus growth mindset; turning obstacles into levers.
A mindset geared to progress, the basic condition for getting the most out of this training.
An effective note-taking method; how to anchor information for the long run; active recall and spaced repetition.
Memorisation techniques you can use straight away to retain standards, formulas and key concepts.
How intrinsic motivation works; how to set progress goals; the Pomodoro method, the working environment.
A personal motivation plan with the triggers and rituals that suit you.
The five VISAA steps (View, Integrate, Secure, Apply, Advance); how each module maps to a step; how to use VISAA on your own projects.
The full VISAA grid, your first consultant's tool, usable immediately.
1
Discovering recycled aggregates
2 chapters
The NF EN 12620 definition; the different types (concrete, mixed, masonry); the key production steps (iron removal, crushing, screening); the fundamental differences with natural aggregates.
The ability to tell the categories apart and explain how they are produced to a non-specialist.
Physical properties (density, absorption 2 to 10 %, angularity); chemical ones (chlorides, sulfates); mechanical ones (Los Angeles, Micro-Deval); the criteria for judging quality.
The ability to read a recycled aggregate data sheet and judge on the spot whether the product suits the intended use.
2
Revisiting the concrete fundamentals
The strength / durability / workability triangle
6 chapters
Definition and base recipe; why it hardens (hydration, not drying); the three fundamental properties and their trade-offs; orders of magnitude for one cubic metre.
The strength / durability / workability triangle, the reading grid that holds for the whole training.
What cement really is; the CEM I to CEM VI families; how to read a cement code.
A reading grid to decode any cement designation in seconds.
The normative definition (< 5 % of the cement mass); the six main families; the line between admixture and addition.
The ability to pick the right admixture for the constraint in front of you: workability, frost, durability.
What water does; Féret's law and the w/c ratio (0.35 to 0.65); NF EN 206 exposure classes (XC, XD, XF, XS, XA).
The reflex of checking the w/c ratio before any mix design, and the hard limit each exposure class imposes.
Sand, gravel, stone and what each does; NF EN 12620 and the d/D notation; grading, fineness modulus, sand equivalent; Los Angeles, Micro-Deval, alkali-silica reactivity.
The reading grid for a natural aggregate data sheet, the essential point of comparison for understanding what changes with recycled ones.
The four families (slag, fly ash, silica fume, limestone fillers); the Beq = C + k×A formula; the k coefficient, addition by addition.
The method for designing with cement plus additions, and checking w/equivalent binder against the exposure class.
3
Mastering the regulatory framework
5 chapters
The RA, RCL and RCU categories; classification criteria (concrete, brick, asphalt and lightweight content); conformity thresholds by category.
The ability to read a data sheet and check normative conformity instantly, before you order.
The three usage families (unreinforced, reinforced, structural concrete); the maximum rates (20 %, 30 %, 50 %); the conditions that trigger or restrict them.
A decision table: type of structure → permitted replacement rate → required aggregate category.
Restrictions on recycled aggregates by exposure class; the exclusion cases (XF4, XS3, XA3); the tightening added by the French national annex.
The automatic reflex: identify the exposure class and its restrictions before any mix design.
Life-cycle indicators for recycled aggregates under RE2020 (kgCO₂eq/m³); how to read an EPD; the real limits of the carbon balance (transport is the critical variable).
An environmental argument with figures behind it, defensible in front of a client, an inspection body or a specifier.
The mandatory documents (data sheet, delivery note, control register); the CE marking requirements specific to recycled aggregates; how to put a compliance file together.
A ready-to-use quality plan template: the five documents to have in hand before any site using recycled aggregates.
4
Understanding the aggregate, cement and water interactions
5 chapters
The double interfacial transition zone inside recycled aggregates; the ways to measure absorption (24 h, rapid method); typical values (2 to 10 %, against 0.5 to 2 % for natural aggregates).
A rapid measurement protocol usable at the plant, and the reflex of measuring absorption before any mix design.
Total water against effective water in a recycled aggregate context; the correction method (subtract the saturation water); the classic mistake and what it does to 28-day strength.
The effective water correction formula, usable at the plant straight away, with a worked example.
Why CEM III suits recycled aggregates particularly well (durability, resistance to residual sulfates); the cases where CEM II is enough.
A selection guide crossing cement × aggregate category × exposure class: the decision triangle for every mix.
What the high porosity of recycled aggregates does to surface drying; the longer curing times (20 to 50 % more than with natural aggregates); pre-soaking as internal curing.
A curing protocol for recycled aggregate concrete by exposure class, ready to drop into the site quality plan.
Reading the data sheet; measuring absorption; calculating effective water; choosing the cement; checking the real w/c ratio.
A complete worked water-cement mix with recycled aggregates, with every figure, ready to reuse on your own projects.
5
Optimising the properties with admixtures
5 chapters
How PCE adsorbs onto the residual mortar particles; the plasticiser being "used up" before it acts on the concrete; the 20 to 50 % over-consumption.
A superplasticiser dosage trial protocol for recycled aggregates, so the bad surprise does not happen on site.
Why the open porosity of recycled aggregates biases the air content measurement (Böhme air meter); how to correct it; the adjustments needed to reach the 4 to 7 % required in XF3 and XF4.
The corrected air content measurement method, with correction factors by replacement rate.
What residual sulfates do to hydration kinetics (risk of false set); retarder against accelerator; the summer and winter special cases.
A retarder / accelerator decision tree based on temperature, replacement rate and cement class.
The principle (soak the aggregates before they go in, so they stop absorbing during mixing); practical protocols at the plant; the benefits and the limits.
A workable pre-soaking protocol — timing, water flow, visual check — that fits into the ready-mix process.
The order constituents go into the mixer; the control points before the truck leaves; batch traceability.
A ready-mix production protocol for recycled aggregates, usable at the plant the following week.
6
Combining recycled aggregates, additions and natural aggregates
5 chapters
The rules for partial replacement (typically 20 to 30 %); the effect on the grading curve; holding stability against the variability of recycled aggregates.
The method for calculating the optimum replacement by aggregate type and class of structure.
What slag does to the double interfacial transition zone; resistance to residual sulfates; recommended rates (30 to 50 %); the trade-off on early strength.
A reference slag plus recycled aggregate mix for durable structural concrete: parameters, ratios, normative justification.
How fly ash offsets the workability lost to the angularity of recycled aggregates; its pozzolanic effect on the portlandite in the old mortar.
A workability-strength optimisation guide with fly ash, by application (slab, wall, foundation).
How nanometric filling works at the old mortar / new paste interface; effective dosages (5 to 8 %); the mandatory synergy with PCE.
The reference high-performance mix with recycled aggregates and silica fume, for demanding applications (car parks, bridge decks, aggressive environments).
Reading across structure × exposure class × available aggregate × objective (cost / performance / durability).
Your own recycled aggregate mix design table, a reference tool you can apply to your projects immediately.
7
Designing a mix with recycled aggregates
5 chapters
Where the Dreux-Gorisse method falls down when applied directly to recycled aggregates; the two-stage approach (natural aggregate base mix, then correction).
An eight-step mix design protocol adapted to recycled aggregates, from writing the brief to validating the fresh concrete.
The full formula (total water – water absorbed by the aggregates + water they already carry); the typical mistakes; the quick check at the plant.
An effective water spreadsheet: enter the parameters, read off the water to add at the plant.
The cross-check method (w/equivalent binder × exposure class × replacement rate × aggregate category); the most frequent non-conformities.
A ten-point conformity checklist, the minimum before signing off a mix for production.
Three detailed case studies: car park slab at 30 % recycled aggregate, XC2 basement wall at 20 %, fill concrete at 50 %.
Reference mixes you can transpose directly, with every parameter documented.
How to write the brief for your own structure; the optimisation trial process; laboratory against site validation criteria.
A first mix of your own, verified and documented, ready to put in front of an inspection body.
8
Placing the concrete and controlling the quality
5 chapters
Managing the stockpiles (separated by category); mixer adaptations (20 % longer); the order constituents go in; setting up the truck mixer.
A production work instruction for the ready-mix plant: the complete operating procedure for the crew.
What transport time does to the workability of recycled aggregate concrete (slump drops faster); vibration rules to match; finishing precautions.
A placing guide for the site crews: the five critical points.
Slump tests with recycled aggregates (adjusted target values); air content (correction needed); strength specimens; the specific tests.
A complete quality control plan — frequencies, methods, limit values — ready to fold into the plant's quality plan.
The documents you can be asked for at each stage; how to present a file to an inspection body; the arguments that lift the usual objections.
A complete traceability kit: every standard document, ready to fill in.
The Quartier Brenu project (Gennevilliers, 100 % recycled concrete, SEQENS and HOLCIM); handling variability and absorption on site.
A project analysis template you can use to structure the feedback from your own sites.
9
Anticipating, innovating and standing out as the expert
5 chapters
Durability results at 10, 20 and 30 years (the RECYBETON and DÉMOCLÈS programmes); the key indicators (carbonation, chlorides, freeze-thaw).
A durability argument with figures and sources, to convince a sceptical client, specifier or inspection body.
The defects specific to recycled aggregates (differential shrinkage, sulfate migration, amplified alkali-silica reaction); diagnostic methods (petrography, expansion tests); preventive and curative treatments.
A diagnostic tree, from the visual observation to the confirmed laboratory diagnosis.
NF EN 197-6 (cements with recycled concrete fines); next-generation aggregates (accelerated carbonation, high-pressure washing); research under way (CERIB, IFSTTAR).
A structured standards watch: the three sources to follow to stay current.
Concrete life-cycle assessment and what recycled aggregates contribute; a simplified carbon calculation; the labels (BBCA, HQE, E+C-); what public clients now require.
A carbon argument with figures for your clients, using calculation tools available free of charge.
How to structure and communicate your expertise; the networks worth joining (ATILH, CERIB, AFG, FNTP); building a first client case; the market outlook to 2030.
Your 90-day action plan to become the reference expert in your area, starting with what to do this week.
This programme is built for technical decision-makers, not for beginners
This training does not start over from cement chemistry. It is aimed at professionals who have to take technical decisions, produce compliant concrete, protect their margins and avoid expensive mistakes in mix design, validation or production.
Lifetime access to the full programme, plus the community and the coaching
Mastering recycled aggregates in concrete — 9 modules, 43 chapters. French audio with English subtitles throughout. Lifetime access, at your own pace.
A full programme on learning effectively online — the VISAA method, active recall, routines. 5 chapters included.
A dedicated community space: peer discussion, questions to the trainer, field cases shared. Lifetime access. Conversations run mainly in French.
Regular live sessions: Q&A, case studies, news on the standards (RE2020, recycled aggregates). Lifetime access. Held in French.
Optional two-hour one-to-one with Ali Maolida — available in English — to work through your own context and adapt the mixes to your local aggregates.
FAQ
Do I need to know concrete already to follow this training?
Module 2 brings you back up to speed on the concrete fundamentals (cement, w/c ratio, exposure classes, admixtures, additions). The training is aimed at technical professionals who take real decisions, not at complete beginners. If you work with concrete operationally, you are in the right place.
Does the training cover the regulatory framework?
Yes, a whole module is devoted to it. You cover NF EN 12620 (classification), NF P 18-545 (permitted replacement rates: 20 %, 30 %, 50 % depending on the structure), NF EN 206/CN (restrictions by exposure class), RE2020 and EPDs, traceability and the quality plan. By the end you can defend a file in front of an inspection body. The standards covered are French and European.
What language is the training in?
The lessons are recorded in French, with English subtitles on every chapter. Downloadable material and the standards cited are in French, since the framework covered is French and European. The one-to-one coaching can be held in English. 10 modules, 48 chapters, lifetime access: you move at your own pace, from home or from the office. Two or three chapters a week gets you through the programme in four to six months alongside a full-time job.
What is the CIRCLE method?
CIRCLE is the decision framework at the centre of the training: Characterise the recycled aggregate — Identify the usage and exposure constraints — Regulate the water/cement pair — Combine admixtures, additions and natural aggregates — Launch the trials and suitability tests — Execute in production with quality control. It runs through the whole programme, from module 1 to module 9.
Is there any human support included?
Yes. The programme includes lifetime access to the Béton Malin Circle (peer community plus questions to the trainer) and to the live sessions, both run mainly in French. An optional two-hour one-to-one, which can be held in English, is available for individual support on your own situation.
Provider guarantees
Command recycled aggregates. Do not put up with them.
10 modules. 48 chapters. Lifetime access. French audio with English subtitles. The CIRCLE method applied to your real situation, with the community and the support to see it through.
Immediate access once payment is confirmed.