Influence of Waste Glass on the Physical Properties of Portland Cement Concrete

Abstract

A differential feature of this work was the use of a type of glass that is little used as fine aggregate in concrete – flat glass powder. This study involved an analysis of the influence of the incorporation of waste glass from the grinding and polishing operations of the glass heat treatment process on the void content, water absorption (W/A) and specific gravity of Portland cement concrete. The coarse and fine aggregates used here were crushed stone and sand, respectively. The concrete was produced using 5%, 10% and 20% of waste glass in place of sand, and water-to-cement (w/c) ratios of 0.50, 0.55 and 0.58. The test specimens were cured for 28 days. The results indicated a reduction in the void content when the percentage of waste glass increased to w/c ratios of 0.55 and 0.58. The reduction of the void content reduced the concrete’s W/A and increased its specific gravity. The waste glass used in this study shows a promising potential for use as fine aggregate in Portland cement concrete. However, other variables must be taken into consideration in the subsequent publications.