Concrete strength analysis using waste plastic as a partial replacement for sand

Plastic got its acceptance as an acceptable-durable material around the globe since late twentieth century. But gradually people understood the issues with plastic that it takes millennia to disintegrate and that this sluggish breakdown rate has a harmful impact on both ocean and terrestrial ecosystems. PET (poly-ethylene terephthalate) is a widely used plastic that is primarily utilized in the production of plastic containers and water bottles. The effect of incorporating carbonated PET plastic wastes into concrete as a fine aggregate alternative, in the achievable concrete strength is investigated in current study. The compressive strength of concrete was determined for five distinct samples with 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5% substitution of fine aggregates with squashed PET powder. Slump decreased with the enhancement of replacement proportion and binding strength between cement matrix and aggregates improved as the gap at the interfacial transition zone was minimized for all replacements. The unconfined compressive strength of concrete got a thrust. The optimum achievable results were obtained at 3% replacement level. Copyright (C) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study investigates the effect of incorporating carbonated PET plastic wastes into concrete as a fine aggregate alternative on the achievable concrete strength. The results indicate that the compressive strength of concrete can be improved with an appropriate replacement proportion.