Using Recycled Concrete Powder, Waste Glass Powder, and Plastic Powder to Improve the Mechanical Properties of Compacted Concrete: Cement Elimination Approach

Abstract

The environment receives millions of tons of garbage, including plastic and glass, and concrete building debris contributes to a number of environmental problems. In order to reduce cement and make use of waste materials like glass and plastic, this research creates compacted concrete samples using waste glass powder, waste plastic powder, micro-silica, fly ash, and recycled powdered concrete. Compressive, nonlinear behavior, and SEM tests on compacted specimens showed that by removing 80% of the cement and substituting 20% recycled concrete powder, 15% micro-silica, 15% fly ash, 15% waste plastic powder, and 15% waste glass powder (at 80°C for 20 minutes), sustainable concrete with compressive and flexural strengths nearly equal to the sample’s compressive and flexural strengths was produced. Micro-silica has several shortcomings regarding improving concrete strength and building a suitable combination with recycled concrete powder. In extremely small quantities, glass powder may be used to replace cement, and in greater quantities, it can take the place of aggregate. Finally, it was found that concrete mortar could be made completely sustainable by using recycled materials like glass, plastic, and recycled concrete, as well as micro-silica and fly ash, and that only 20% of the weight of cement could be used without lowering the compressive and flexural strength of the concrete.