Light-weight concrete with artificial aggregate manufactured from plastic waste: Fid-Bau Portal

Light-weight concrete with artificial aggregate manufactured from plastic waste

del Rey Castillo, Enrique / Almesfer, Nasser / Saggi, Opinder / Ingham, Jason M.

Highlights • New artificial aggregate made of 100% plastic waste (80% polyolefins and 20% other). • Development of 20 MPa compressive strength concrete mixes using plastic aggregate. • Upcycling of plastic waste to contribute to a circular economy and reduce landfill. • Plastic waste minimization for Improved sustainability through non-structural concrete. • Lightweight concrete for precast elements like sound barriers, facade and ancillary.

Abstract The inclusion of an artificial aggregate manufactured using plastic waste to develop a light-weight concrete was studied. Five separate mixes were designed, progressively increasing the amount of artificial aggregate and measuring the fresh and hardened concrete properties, and it was found that the slump and density of the concrete decreased as the amount of artificial aggregate in the concrete increased. Both the compressive and the tensile Then the mix that was most suitable to the requirements of the study in terms of density and compressive strength was chosen for further investigation in stage two. Fifteen percent of the natural aggregate by weight was replaced in this optimal mix, which equals more than thirty-seven percent of the volume given the lower density of the manufactured aggregate compared to natural aggregate. A larger number of specimens and more detailed testing was undertaken for stage two when compared to stage one, including establishing the compressive stress–strain relationship and the modulus of elasticity of the newly developed concrete mix. The results indicated that plastic aggregates manufactured following shredding, palletisation and extrusion processes can be used to obtain a lightweight concrete (1800 kg/m³) while having relatively good compressive strength properties (20 MPa at 28 days). These results were higher than other results previously reported in the literature on the replacement of coarse aggregate with plastic, but were marginally lower than results reported in the literature for studies where fine aggregate was replaced with plastic. It was concluded that the concrete mix reported herein can be used for a wide spectrum of applications such as non-structural facades and sound barriers for highways. Further research is required to investigate the durability of concrete with the artificial aggregate included in the mix, especially if the product is to be subjected to wear and tear such as in driveways or warehouse slabs.