Potential Use of E-Plastic Waste in Concrete

Concrete is one of the most widely used materials in the construction industry. Depletion of natural resources has resulted in the lookout for alternate materials. Waste E-plastics on the other hand, are materials which cannot be recycled. Therefore, a study on characteristics of concrete having E-plastics as a replacement to fine aggregate is conducted and applications are suggested. In this research work, a survey was conducted to quantify the amount of waste E-plastic generated per day. M30 grade of concrete was designed as per the IS method and the mix proportion obtained was 1:1.6:2.5. Fine aggregate in concrete was replaced with E-plastics in various percentages ranging from 5% to 30% by weight of cement. Tests were conducted on fresh and hardened concrete to study the characteristics and arrive at the maximum replacement percentage of fine aggregate with E-plastic. The compressive, split tensile and flexural strengths of the concrete decreased as the percentage replacement of E-plastic increased. The maximum percentage of E-plastic replacement at which the M30 grade concrete achieved the optimum strength was found to be 15%. This optimum replacement was used to design and test paver blocks and it was observed that paver blocks achieved the desired strengths suitable for application in building premises, monument premises, landscapes, public gardens/parks, domestic drives, paths and patios, embankment slopes, sand stabilization area, etc.