Effect of Partial Replacement of Sand By Glass Powder with Calcium Nitrite as Admixtures On the Properties of Concrete

Abstract

Every year, millions of tonnes of waste glass are produced across the world. Glass is disposed of as garbage in landfills, which is unsustainable since it does not breakdown in the environment. Silica is the main component of glass. The use of milled (ground) waste glass as a partial replacement for cement in concrete might be a significant step toward the creation of environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, and cost-effective infrastructure systems. When waste glass is ground down to micron-sized particles, it is called micro glass. It is believed that it would undergo pozzolanic reactions with cement hydrates, resulting in secondary Calcium Silicate Hydrate (C–S–H). Chemical characteristics of clear and tinted glass were assessed in this study. The X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technique was used to analyse the chemical composition of glass and cement samples, and it revealed slight changes in composition between clear and tinted glasses. Flow and compressive strength experiments on mortar and concrete were conducted by adding 0–25% ground glass, with the water to binder (cement + glass) ratio being constant for all replacement levels. With the inclusion of glass, mortar flow rose somewhat, with a small influence on Further experiments were undertaken using the same mix parameters and a 1% super plasticizing admixture dosage (by weight of cement) to analyse the packing and pozzolanic effects, and usually observed an improvement in compressive strength of mortars with admixture. Concrete cube samples were made and evaluated for strength in the same way as mortar samples were (until 1 year curing). When compared to control samples, the compressive strength of recycled glass mortar and concrete was found to be higher. The financial and environmental benefits of replacing 20% of cement with waste glass were determined to be compelling.