Recycled Gypsum as a Cementitious Component: Barriers, Performance Thresholds, and Pathways to Industrial Adoption

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.994112616045

• Palavras-chave: Gesso reciclado; Concreto sustentável; Resíduo industrial; Substituição de cimento.

• Keywords: Recycled plaster; Sustainable concrete; Industrial waste; Cement replacement.

• Abstract: The construction sector is a major source of global CO₂ emissions and solid waste, largely due to the intensive use of Portland cement, which accounts for approximately 5–8% of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. In response, recycled and industrial by-product materials have been investigated as partial cement replacements; however, the technical potential and application pathways of recycled gypsum remain scattered in the literature. This study presents a systematic review conducted in accordance with the PRISMA protocol, integrating bibliometric analysis and qualitative synthesis to assess the use of recycled gypsum in cement and concrete systems. A total of 123 peer-reviewed articles from the Web of Science and Scopus databases were analyzed, addressing publication trends, material combinations, replacement levels, testing methods, and performance outcomes. The results indicate that recycled gypsum is primarily used in combination with supplementary cementitious materials, with typical cement replacement levels ranging from 5% to 40%. While compressive strength is the most commonly evaluated property and comparable performance can be achieved with optimized mix design and curing, increased porosity remains a key challenge. The review proposes a technical framework to support durability-oriented mix design and low-carbon concrete development.