Studies on mechanical properties of concrete containing waste glass aggregate

Quantities of waste glass have been on the rise in recent years due to an increase in industrialization and the rapid improvement in the standard of living. Unfortunately, the majority of waste glass is not being recycled but rather abandoned, and is therefore the cause of certain serious problems such as the waste of natural resources and environmental pollution. For these reasons, this study has been conducted through basic experimental research in order to analyze the possibilities of recycling waste glasses (crushed waste glasses from Korea such as amber, emerald green, flint, and mixed glass) as fine aggregates for concrete. Test results of fresh concrete show that both slump and compacting factors are decreased due to angular grain shape and that air content is increased due to the involvement of numerous small-sized particles that are found in waste glasses. In addition the compressive, tensile and flexural strengths of concrete have been shown to decrease when the content of waste glass is increased. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that emerald green waste glass when used below 30% in mixing concrete is practical along with usage of 10% SBR latex. In addition, the content of waste glasses below 30% is practical along with usage of a pertinent admixture that is necessary to obtain workability and air content. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.