Replacing E-waste with coarse aggregate in architectural engineering and construction industry

Abstract

The goal of this article is to investigate the possibilities of substituting certified recycled electronic trash for coarse aggregates in construction. Electronic waste is a general word that refers to electronic items that are no longer valuable to their owners, are no longer functional, or have exceeded their useful life. In today's information technology age, consumption of electronic equipment such as mobile phones, laptops, and LED lights has expanded tremendously, resulting in vast amounts of outmoded products, or e-waste. Direct e-waste disposal has been shown to have a negative impact on the environment. Numerous earlier research investigations revealed that e-waste might be utilized in place of coarse aggregate in stiff pavements. This study compared the compressive strength of M20 grade concrete for grinded PCB (Printed Circuit Board), plastic, CRT LCD Monitor, and other e-waste to that of conventional concrete by partially replacing coarse aggregates at four levels, namely 7 percent, 12 percent, 17 percent, and 22 percent with a constant interval of 5 percent. The findings of the study conclude that the strength of concrete increase upto the level of 7 percent coarse aggregate is replaced by e-waste. Further till the 12 percent addition it started decreasing but the decline in strength is within the M20 range of compressive strength. This study concludes that the e-waste shall be used and utilized as a replacement of coarse aggregate in the range of 7–10% without impacting the compressive strength of the concrete.