Select Engineering Characteristics of Crushed Glass

Abstract

Select engineering characteristics of crushed glass produced using two processing techniques (crushing versus screening) to an American Society of State Highway and Transportation Officials No. 10 gradation were experimentally evaluated. The crushed glass samples were classified as well graded sands with gravel (SW) and exhibited excellent strength and workability characteristics. The low specific gravity (2.49) contributed to crushed glass having compacted maximum dry densities on the order of 16.6-16.8 and 17.5-18.3 kN/ m 3 by the standard and modified Proctor compaction tests, respectively. Direct shear friction angles were measured between 47 and 62°at normal stresses ranging from 0 to 200 kPa. Friction angles obtained by drained triaxial shear were on the order of 48°for similar stress ranges. Measured hydraulic conductivities were on the order of 1-6 ϫ 10 −4 cm/ s. The results indicate that crushed glass is a readily available, freely draining, environmentally clean, relatively low cost material whose engineering performance properties generally equal or exceed those of most natural aggregates. Despite these favorable characteristics, there are many real and perceived barriers to increasing the beneficial use of crushed glass, and key examples are provided in an effort to illustrate these unnecessary barriers.

Modulus of rupture evaluation of cement stabilized recycled glass/recycled concrete aggregate blends

“…The use of recycled C&D material would greatly reduce the demand for landfill sites and for virgin resource materials by re-using what would be normally regarded as a waste material. C&D materials have been evaluated and successfully implemented in recent years in several countries [1,2]. C&D materials have been trialled successfully in pavements [3][4][5][6], footpaths [7] and pipe-bedding [8] applications.…”

Waste glass in civil engineering applications—A review

“…98 However, the purity of CWG remains an important factor that may influence its geotechnical potential, as CWG must be free from dirt, debris, organics, extra fines, and other chemicals that may contaminate if it is not cleaned properly. 95,101 There are very few studies performed on CWG in other geotechnical applications. 100 Nevertheless, use of CWG as a replacement for natural aggregates has unfortunately been neglected in many countries due to easy accessibility of virgin aggregates, an abundance of landfilling areas, a poor public image about its environmental impact, and inadequate knowledge on the engineering behavior of CWG.…”

Long-Term Sustainability from the Perspective of Cullet Recycling in the Container Glass Industry: Evidence from Italy

“…For collection, the container glass is sent to cullet treatment plants (CTP), where it is separated into cullet and impurities (paper, metal, plastic, small fractions of glass), which are disposed of in landfills (metals are usually recycled). After CTP, cullet can be recycled into container glass production (closed-loop system); used for other products, including construction materials for embankments and pavement subbases [35]; used in cement and concrete production as supplementary cementitious material or aggregates [36][37][38]; or used as lightweight fill material in civil engineering applications [39,40]. This latter approach offers a viable solution to two problems: reducing cement and concrete carbon emissions, and diverting waste from landfills.…”