Abstract:To reduce the risk of flexural cracking at the interface of composite beams made with waste coarse aggregate concrete, high-stiffness iron ore waste rock coarse aggregate (IRCA) and low-stiffness spontaneous combustion coal gangue coarse aggregate (SGCA) were combined to produce a hybrid waste coarse aggregate (HWCA) with stiffness comparable to that of natural coarse aggregate (NCA). The mechanical properties of HWCA concrete and the flexural performance of composite beams were investigated. Results indicate that when the volume ratio of high- to low-stiffness coarse aggregate is 3:2, the stiffness of HWCA is comparable to that of NCA, and the difference in elastic modulus between the concrete made with the two types of coarse aggregates decreases from 28.03% to 2.37%. However, when the proportion of high-stiffness coarse aggregate exceeds 68% and 92%, the compressive strength and elastic modulus of the concrete begin to decrease from their peak values. The elasticity ratio of aggregate to mortar was proposed as a criterion to determine whether the elastic modulus and Poisson’s ratio of the concrete have reached their peak values. The application of HWCA concrete in composite beams effectively mitigates stress concentration at the interface and improves the interface cracking resistance.