Evaluation of Selected Durability Properties of Portland Cement Concretes Containing Ground Glass Fiber as a Pozzolan

Abstract

Glass fibers are produced in large quantities around the world for the production of fiber glass composites and for other reinforcement applications. However, considering the stringent quality requirements a significant quantity of waste is produced in the production process that does not meet required specifications of the final product in terms of the physical properties, although the chemical composition of the glass fiber waste is identical to that of the in-spec glass fiber. At present, this waste is largely disposed of in landfills. This glass fiber waste has the same chemical composition as the good glass fiber, and is rich in silica, alumina, and calcium oxides. Considering the requirements of a typical pozzolanic material, waste glass fiber could be ground to a fine powder for use as a pozzolan. In this study, the effect of using ground glass fiber (GGF) as a pozzolan in concrete at different cement replacement levels (10, 20, and 30% by mass) on selected durability properties of mixtures over a span of two years was investigated. For this purpose, the resistance of GGF-containing mixtures against the alkali–silica reaction, sulfate attack, and drying shrinkage was evaluated and compared with two control mixtures, including a mixture with 100% Portland cement and a mixture having 25% class F fly ash. Results of this research showed that the replacement of Portland cement with GGF resulted in significant improvements in the durability properties, and the mechanical properties were comparable with those of control mixtures.