CEMENTITIOUS MATRICES WITH LIGHT AGGREGATE BASED ON POLYESTER WASTE AND LAMINATED PVC EXTRUDED WITH POLYSTYRENE

Abstract

Waste generation from diverse sectors of the economy has given rise to studies related to consumption and disposal of several associated products. The traditional shoe making sector in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) is no exception and has a need to implement sustainable actions for the re-use of raw material waste. The objective of this study was to develop a light aggregate based on polyester waste and laminated PVC extruded with recycled polystyrene for use in cementitious matrices. A reference mortar was prepared with a mix ratio of 1:3 (cement: quartz sand) and water/cement ratio (w/c) of 0.48. Additionally, 4 mortars were prepared with light aggregate replacement contents of 25 %, 50 %, 75 % and 100 % in volume with respect to quartz sand. Properties evaluated were consistency in the fresh state and compressive strength, density, water absorption and porosity in the hardened state. It was determined that consistency decreased as light aggregate substitution content increased. Similarly, decreases in compressive strength and density were noted with increasing light aggregate substitution content. On the other hand, water absorption, porosity and void index increased in conjunction with the decrease in density as substitution content increased.

Keywords

• Shoe making industry
• waste
• light aggregate