Alternatives to Enhance the Structural Performance of PET-Modified Reinforced Concrete Beams

Abstract

Numerous studies investigated the possibility of incorporating plastic wastes in concrete mixtures, thus contributing to efficient management and sustainable development of the construction industry. This paper investigates the possibility of reducing the water-to-cement ratio and/or incorporating steel fibers or polymeric latexes to mitigate the drop in structural properties of reinforced concrete (RC) beams containing polyethylene terephthalate (PET) additions. The PET was derived from waste plastic bottles that were shredded into small pieces and added during concrete batching at 1.5% to 4.5%, by total volume. Test results showed that the concrete plain and structural properties degrade with PET additions, given their lightweight nature and poor characteristic strength compared to aggregate particles. The reduction of w/c from 0.55 to 0.46 proved efficient to refine the matrix porosity and reinstate the shear and flexural strengths of RC beams. Moreso, the incorporation of 0.8% steel fibers (by volume) or 15% styrene-butadiene rubber latexes (by mixing water) were efficient to enhance the bridging phenomenon and reduce the propagation of cracks during beam testing.

Electrochemical C−H/C−C Bond Oxygenation: A Potential Technology for Plastic Depolymerization

“…[178][179][180] Particularly, fossil-based plastics like polystyrene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polypropylene are utilized on a regular basis, which causes an increase in the amount of waste being disposed of in landfills. [181][182][183][184][185][186][187] As a result, developing a strategy to address these issues that is both efficient and affordable has been difficult. Therefore, compared to landfilling and incineration, recycling technology not only minimizes toxic elements and waste pollution on the environment, [188][189][190] but it can also produce novel products with good mechanical and physical features.…”

“…It is generally recognized that plastic waste has a wide range of negative environmental effects, such as elevated energy consumption and exhaustion of greenhouse gases [178–180] . Particularly, fossil‐based plastics like polystyrene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polypropylene are utilized on a regular basis, which causes an increase in the amount of waste being disposed of in landfills [181–187] . As a result, developing a strategy to address these issues that is both efficient and affordable has been difficult.…”