Comparative Study of Concrete with Polypropylene and Polyethylene Terephthalate Waste Plastic as Partial Replacement of Coarse Aggregate

Abstract

Production of plastic has risen significantly in the last 60 years worldwide, and around 10% of this plastic is turned into solid waste. This plastic becomes an environmental hazard in the absence of appropriate recovery methods. Incorporating waste plastic in concrete is an alternate way to recycle this waste plastic. Polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are two of the most widely used plastic scarcely recovered and recycled. Therefore, in the present study, both PP and PET are used as a partial replacement (10%, 20%, and 30% by volume) of coarse aggregate. These concretes are compared for three different water-cement ratios (0.42, 0.48, and 0.57). Properties such as workability, density, compressive, and tensile strengths are compared. Concrete with PP aggregate has shown as much as 39% higher compressive strength and 9% lower density than brick aggregate concrete. On the other hand, concrete with PET aggregate has displayed as much as 53% reduction in compressive strength compared to the reference concrete. Furthermore, it demonstrates higher workability and lower density. Equations are proposed to describe relationships between compressive and splitting tensile strengths of concrete, including the effect of plastic aggregate percentages. Cost analysis of the concrete reveals that incorporating waste plastic in concrete is more expensive than the regular brick aggregate concrete. Still, up to 10%, PP can be used in concrete, considering the gain in compressive strength.

Comprehensive Analysis of the Effects of Superplasticizer Variation on the Workability and Strength of Ready-Mix Concrete

“…In urban environments characterized by limited space availability, ready-mix concrete (RMC) plants may effectively function within compact spaces, making them well-suited for construction sites that are heavily congested [8]. RCC road construction instead of bituminous, can highly be benefitted using RMC [13] [14] [15] [16]. It is often used for slope protection or embankment construction purposes as well [17] [18] [19] [20].…”

Utilization of Modified Plastic Waste on the Porous Concrete Block Containing Fine Aggregate

“…Within most literature studies conducted on the area of artificial plastic aggregate production as an additive material in concrete, using strip cut particles form have been researched more than the melted particles [13][14][15]. This can be because of its production costs and its amalgamation tendency that can be performed during the melting process.…”

Vehicle-Bridge Interaction Simulation and Damage Identification of a Bridge Using Responses Measured in a Passing Vehicle by Empirical Mode Decomposition Method

“…To quantify the dynamic properties of vehicles, previous studies has utilized an Arduino microcontroller-based machine that measures vehicle speed and jerking while being attached to operating vehicles [46] [47] [48]. Dynamic models are employed to assess various aspects, such as the fatigue life of different structural parts, environmental vibration issues, and the safety and comfort of traffic on bridges [49] [50]. Vehicle-bridge interaction (VBI) is utilized to determine the vehicle-induced dynamic responses of bridges.…”