Recycling of Waste Plastic into Fine-Grained Concrete Without Strength Reduction

Abstract

The problem of recycling plastic waste is quite acute both in Ukraine and for most countries of the world. The use of plastic processing products can be considered an urgent problem of society from the point of view of environmental protection and environmental safety. Today, developments are underway in the field of using polymers in one of the largest sectors of production – the construction industry. In recent years, the scientific community has been actively studying the issue of using plastic waste in the manufacture of reinforced concrete structures, that is, partial replacement of the filler with plastic particles. At the same time, in the short term, sufficient resources of plastic waste will be provided, which will come in value for collection and recycling. The use of plastic in concrete production technology will not only reduce the negative impact of waste on the environment, but also develop concrete of more sustainable quality and lower cost. The aim of the study is determining the amount of plastic waste that can be utilized through introducing it into concrete mix without reducing the strength of the concrete. Here we have considered the issue of the impact of the degree of plastic grinding on concrete strength. The research findings show that the introduction of plastic in an amount up to 3.5% of the volume of concrete as a substitute for the aggregate does not reduce its compressive or flexural strength.