Sustainable Solution for the Disposal of Fiber-Reinforced Plastic Waste

Abstract

Fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) is one of the gifts to technology that has influenced human life in numerous ways. FRP represents plastic which contains fibers of other materials that add strength, flexibility, durability, and other virtues to the plastic. From the past years, FRP being some composite materials has been used in many industries. But disposal of this FRP waste is becoming a major problem because of increased generation in FRP materials from various industries mainly from windmills. The study deals with use of FRP waste as an additive in concrete, thereby checking the effect of FRP waste on concrete characteristics. Concrete cubes, cylinders, and prisms of M-25 grade concrete were casted with different percentage of FRP waste (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4%) as an additive by the weight of the cement. From the results of compressive strength, flexural strength, and split tensile strength, of the concrete with and without FRP waste, it is observed that the compressive strength, flexural strength, and split tensile strength of the concrete specimens increase when 3% of FRP waste is used as an additive. Hence, 3% of FRP waste can be considered as optimum dosage to be used in concrete.