Influence of Recycling Waste Glass As Fine Aggregate On The Concrete Properties
Influence of Recycling Waste Glass As Fine Aggregate On The Concrete Properties
Influence of Recycling Waste Glass As Fine Aggregate On The Concrete Properties
DOI: 10.32604/jrm.2023.025558
ARTICLE
ABSTRACT
Recent years have witnessed an increase in the quantity of waste glass (WG) across the globe. Replacing the fine
aggregate with WG is one of the steps toward preserving the natural resources of the environment and creating
low-cost concrete. The present study is concerned with replacing fine aggregates with glass powder (GP) at (0%,
15%, 30%, and 50%). It has studied the fresh and hardened properties (compressive strength, tensile strength,
hardened density, and slump) for all the mentioned percent replacements. The findings have shown that all mix-
tures containing GP gave acceptable slump results within the design limits (2–5 cm) according to ACI standard
211.1. It has been observed that increasing the proportion of GP led to a decrease in the weight of concrete. Lastly,
replacing GP with sand by 30% has led to an increase in the compressive strength by about 2.4% and 12.45%, and
the tensile strength by about 2.5% and 26.54% at 7- and 28-d, respectively in comparison to normal concrete.
KEYWORDS
Sustainable concrete; glass powder; fine aggregate; partial replacement
1 Introduction
Concrete is the most commonly used commercially produced building material, and its popularity is
expanding rapidly day by day [1–3]. The most important constituent materials used in the manufacture of
concrete are cement and aggregate [4–6]. These are essential materials for the construction field [7–10].
The quantity of waste glass (WG) produced has gradually redoubled in recent years due to the increasing
demand for glass products such as packaging or container glass, bulb glass, and flat glass. The majority of
WG has a limited life and has been dropped in lowland areas; it must be reused to minimize environmental
concerns because it is not biodegradable [11–13]. Recycling and reducing waste are key parts of a
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which
permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original
work is properly cited.
2926 JRM, 2023, vol.11, no.6
waste-management system since they contribute to conserving natural resources, reducing requests for waste
landfill space, and reducing pollution of water and air [14].
Various unique properties of natural glass such as the silicate nature of glass, non-water absorbing, high
hardness, and high resistance against corrosion and heat encouraged different researchers to use glass in the
concrete mixture and study its effect on the properties of concrete [11–13]. Various studies have verified the
partial replacement of glass powder as a partial substitute for fine aggregates in concrete. Ling et al. [15]
investigated the effects of recycled glass cullet as a partial substitute for river sand at 10%, 20%, and
30% on the slump, tensile strength, compressive strength, static modulus of elasticity, and density of self-
compact concrete (SCC) and found a direct proportion between the results of the slump and the
replacement ratios, while a clear decrease in the other mechanical characteristics of (SCC) mixes as the
glass aggregate content increased [16–18]. Shekhawat et al. [16] used four different percentages (10%,
20%, 30%, and 40%) of glass waste as a partial substitute for fine aggregate in ordinary concrete (M-25)
to study the hardened properties such as compressive strength, tensile strength, and density in addition to
a slump. The highest results for slump were recorded by replacing sand by 40% with WG, while for the
other characteristics, it was noted that there was an increase in compressive strength up to 30%
replacement of fine aggregates by WG, and splitting tensile strength decreased with increasing waste
glass content [19,20]. Arivalagan et al. [19] verified the effect of glass dust (GD) on some properties of
concrete such as compressive strength, tensile strength, and flexural strength by replacing fine aggregates
with GD at (10%, 20%, and 30%). They found a significant decrease in a slump was reached with an
increase in the replacement ratio of GD. In comparison, the compression resistance increased up to 20%
replacement level, as well as the tensile strength and flexural strength, which started decreasing after 20%
replacement of GD by fine aggregate. They studied the effects of the partial replacement of glass powder
with fine aggregates (10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%) on the compressive strength, tensile strength, and
workability of concrete. Kassed et al. [20] studied the effects of the partial replacement of glass powder
with fine aggregates at various rates (10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%) on the compressive strength, tensile
strength, and workability of concrete. A clear decrease was found in the results of the slump when
increasing the percentage of glass powder in the mixture. The compressive strength was increased for
10% replacement, after which it began to decrease gradually by increasing the percentage of glass
powder content. The tensile strength decreased significantly when adding glass powder compared to the
reference concrete mix. The main goal of the current study is to check the properties of normal concrete
(30-M) (compressive strength, tensile strength, density, and slump) by recycling glass waste at rates of
15%, 30%, and 50% as a partial replacement for fine aggregate.
2 Experimental Program
2.1 Materials
2.1.1 Cement
Ordinary Portland cement, type I, known commercially as Krista, conforms to Iraqi specifications
No. 5/1984 [21]. It was used during the current study and its properties are shown in Table 1 and Fig. 1.
Table 1: Characteristics of cement
Chemical characteristics
Oxides composition Content (%) Iraqi specification No. 5/1984
SiO2 21.44 —
CaO 61.2 —
Fe2O3 3.68 —
(Continued)
JRM, 2023, vol.11, no.6 2927
Table 1 (continued)
Chemical characteristics
Oxides composition Content (%) Iraqi specification No. 5/1984
Al2O3 4.5 —
SO3 2.7 <2.80
MgO 2.31 <5.00
Insoluble residue 1.18 <1.50
L.O.I. 2.39 <4.00
Lime Saturation Factor, L.S.F. 0.87 0.66–1.02
Main compounds
C3S 42.83 —
C2S 29.4 —
C3A 5.73 >5.00
C4AF 11.19 —
Physical characteristics
Characteristics Test Limits of Iraqi specification
findings No. 5/1984
Specific surface area (Blaine method), m2/kg 405 ≥230
Setting time (Vicat apparatus), The initial setting, 2:45 ≥00:45
hr:min
The final setting, hr:min 4:45 ≤10:00
Compressive strength, MPa 24.4 ≥15.00
3-d 32.3 ≥23.00
7-d
Soundness (Autoclave method), % 0.35 ≤0.8
2.1.2 Water
Drinkable water was used for mixing and curing concrete. According to the ASTM standard
specification [22], it was clean and free of harmful amounts of oil, organic materials, and other bad things.
2.1.3 Coarse Aggregate
The coarse aggregate used for making normal concrete was natural aggregate with a 20 mm maximum
particle size. Fig. 2, Tables 2 and 3 show the grading of this type of aggregate and the physical characteristics,
respectively. Findings showed that the physical characteristics and the coarse aggregate grading were within
the requirements of the Iraqi specifications (I.Q.S No. 45, 1984) [23].
shows the preparation of sand for the sieve analysis test; Table 4 and Fig. 5 show the sieve analysis of the
used sand, which complied with the requirements of Iraqi specification (I.Q.S No. 45, 1984) [23].
Figure 3: (a) Graded natural sand (Al-Ukhaider), (b) Sieve analysis of natural fine aggregate
100
80
Passing (%)
60
40
20
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Sieve size (mm)
2.1.5 WG Powder
Typically, glass is made using sand, lime, and soda. The glass used in light bulbs, cookware, and
windowpanes is not recyclable due to unique additions such as ceramics and other contaminants. Table 5
shows the chemical properties of the glass powder (GP) that was used in this study.
2930 JRM, 2023, vol.11, no.6
In the current study, the glass was broken as in Fig. 4a and then crushed into very small particles (GP) as
shown in Fig. 4b to use it as a partial substitute in different proportions from sand in normal concrete. Table 6
and Fig. 5 show the sieve analysis of GP.
In the mixer, the batch GP, coarse aggregate, and fine aggregate were mixed for 60 s. The cement was
then added and mixed for 30 s until all materials were overlapping. Water is added gradually as the mixing
process continues for two minutes until a homogenous mix is obtained. The procedure of the mixing process
is shown in Fig. 7.
machine (Fig. 8) to prevent any segregation of the concrete components after hardening. Then the surface of
the samples is leveled using a trowel (Fig. 9). The molds were opened after 24 h of casting, and the specimens
were placed in curing pools at a laboratory temperature of 25.2°C (Fig. 10).
3 Experimental Tests
3.1 Slump Test
This test technique conforms to ASTM C143 [24] standards. As shown in Fig. 11, the vertical distance
between the original and displaced location of the center of the concrete’s top surface is measured and
reported as the concrete’s slump.
M
q¼ (3)
V
where:
M = Mass of hardened concrete (Kg)
V = Volume of the concrete cube (m3)
q = Unit weight of hardened concrete (Kg/m3)
was found that all mixes containing GP had acceptable slump measurements within the design limitations
(20–50 mm) specified by ACI 211, as seen in Table 8, Figs. 15 and 16. There is a slight increase in the
slump when the content of glass powder increases because glass is a solid material and therefore does not
absorb water, unlike fine aggregates, and that leads to improving the workability of concrete.
35
30
20
34.59
30.76
29.48
Compressive Strength (Mpa)
26.66
26.03
24.4
21.41
18.87
Results of compressive strength at Results of compressive strength at
7-days 28-days
The findings showed that the best proportion of replacing sand with GP was 30%, which increased the
compressive strength by 2.4% and 12.45% at 7- and 28-d, respectively, compared to the control specimens
(NC 0GP). As for the percentage of 15% substitute, it decreased the compressive strength by 27.5% and
20.68%, as well as the ratio of 50% substitute, which caused a relatively small decrease in compressive
strength by 17.75% and 4.16% at 7- and 28-d, respectively. The weak compressive strength when using a
high content of glass powder is due to the smoothness of the glass particles and thus the lack of cohesion
between them and the cement paste [26–29].
2.56
Splitting Tensile Strength (Mpa)
2.11
2.05
2.04
1.95
2
1.78
The findings show that the best tensile strength was obtained by using a 30% substitute ratio of
GP. Compared to the reference specimens, it made the tensile strength go up by 2.5% at 7-d and
26.54% at 28-d.
2938 JRM, 2023, vol.11, no.6
2405
2390
2388
2381
2379
Hardened Density (Kg/M3)
2364
2354
2330
Results of hardened density at Results of hardened density at
7-days 28-days
Finally, more or less the behavior of adding waste materials to concrete with fresh and hardened
properties can be found in the literature reports here.
5 Conclusion
The following observations were made based on the experimental examination of the usage of WG
powder as a substitute for fine aggregate in concrete:
1. All mixes containing GP gave slightly increased slump results compared to the reference mixture but
still acceptable findings within the design limits (2–5 cm) according to ACI standard 211.1.
2. Both sand and GP are graded uniformly and per Iraqi standard No. 45/1984.
3. Due to the low specific weight of glass compared to the specific weight of sand, adding more GP
causes the weight of the concrete to go down.
4. Because the specific gravity of the glass cullet is less than that of the granite sand, the hardened
density is less.
5. Replacing GP with sand by 30% leads to an increase in the compressive strength by about 2.4% and
12.45% and the tensile strength by about 2.5% and 26.54% at 7- and 28-d, respectively, compared to
normal concrete (without GP).
6. The increase in mechanical properties was probably achieved thanks to the use of fine glass aggregate
particles, which enhance the aggregate-cement matrix bonding strength, and the use of green glass
aggregate with a higher Mohs hardness.
7. Based on the results above, it seems that the increase in mechanical properties of concrete with the
addition of glass powder is probably resulting from the pozzolanic activity. This will be the subject of
further research, in which tests for other types of cement, other types of glass waste and its mixes, and
different contents and the size of the aggregate particle, with particular emphasis on long-term fatigue
tests, are planned to be conducted.
JRM, 2023, vol.11, no.6 2939
6 Recommendations
The following suggestions may be considered for future work:
1. Study the effect of GP as a partial substitute for cement.
2. A study of how using GP as a partial replacement for fine aggregate affects the flexibility of concrete.
3. Study of higher percentages of GP as a partial substitute for fine aggregates.
Acknowledgement: This research work is supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid
University under Grant No. RGP. 2/246/43. Moreover, the authors thank Dr. Bareq Raad Raheem (PhD in
English Language, Department of English, Aligarh Muslim University) for the proofreading of the paper.
Funding Statement: This research work is supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid
University under Grant No. RGP. 2/246/43.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal
relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
References
1. Ahmed, S. N., Hamah Sor, N., Ahmed, M. A., Qaidi, S. M. A. (2022). Thermal conductivity and hardened
behavior of eco-friendly concrete incorporating waste polypropylene as fine aggregate. Materials Today:
Proceedings, 57, 818–823. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2022.02.417
2. Al-Tayeb, M. M., Aisheh, Y. I. A., Qaidi, S. M. A., Tayeh, B. A. (2022). Experimental and simulation study on the
impact resistance of concrete to replace high amounts of fine aggregate with plastic waste. Case Studies in
Construction Materials, 17, e01324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscm.2022.e01324
3. Almeshal, I., Al-Tayeb, M. M., Qaidi, S. M. A., Abu Bakar, B. H., Tayeh, B. A. (2022). Mechanical properties of
eco-friendly cements-based glass powder in aggressive medium. Materials Today: Proceedings, 58, 1582–1587.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2022.03.613
4. Cao, M., Khan, M. (2021). Effectiveness of multiscale hybrid fiber reinforced cementitious composites under single
degree of freedom hydraulic shaking table. Structural Concrete, 22(1), 535–549. https://doi.org/10.1002/suco.
201900228
5. Cao, M., Khan, M., Ahmed, S. (2020). Effectiveness of calcium carbonate whisker in cementitious composites.
Periodica Polytechnica. Civil Engineering, 64(1), 265. https://doi.org/10.3311/PPci.14288
6. ASTM International Committee C09 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates (2017). Standard test method for
splitting tensile strength of cylindrical concrete specimens1. ASTM International.
7. de Castro, S., de Brito, J. (2013). Evaluation of the durability of concrete made with crushed glass aggregates.
Journal of Cleaner Production, 41, 7–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2012.09.021
8. Serpa, D., de Brito, J., Pontes, J. (2015). Concrete made with recycled glass aggregates: Mechanical performance.
ACI Materials Journal, 112(1). https://doi.org/10.14359/51687366
9. Faraj, R. H., Ahmed, H. U., Rafiq, S., Sor, N. H., Ibrahim, D. F. et al. (2022). Performance of self-compacting
mortars modified with nanoparticles: A systematic review and modeling. Cleaner Materials, 4, 100086. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.clema.2022.100086
10. Khan, M., Ali, M. (2019). Improvement in concrete behavior with fly ash, silica-fume and coconut fibres.
Construction and Building Materials, 203, 174–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.01.103
11. Khan, M., Rehman, A., Ali, M. (2020). Efficiency of silica-fume content in plain and natural fiber reinforced concrete
for concrete road. Construction and Building Materials, 244, 118382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.
118382
12. Kou, S. C., Poon, C. S. (2009). Properties of self-compacting concrete prepared with recycled glass aggregate.
Cement and Concrete Composites, 31(2), 107–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2008.12.002
2940 JRM, 2023, vol.11, no.6
13. Lam, C. S., Poon, C. S., Chan, D. (2007). Enhancing the performance of pre-cast concrete blocks by incorporating waste
glass–ASR consideration. Cement and Concrete Composites, 29(8), 616–625. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.
2007.03.008
14. Lee, G., Poon, C. S., Wong, Y. L., Ling, T. C. (2013). Effects of recycled fine glass aggregates on the properties of dry–
mixed concrete blocks. Construction and Building Materials, 38, 638–643. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2012.
09.017
15. Ling, T. C., Poon, C. S., Wong, H. W. (2013). Management and recycling of waste glass in concrete products:
Current situations in Hong Kong. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 70, 25–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
resconrec.2012.10.006
16. Shekhawat, B. S., Aggarwal, D. V. (2014). Utilisation of waste glass powder in concrete–A literature review.
International Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology, 3(7), 1329–1333.
17. Najm, H. M., Khan, S. A. R. A. (2022). Mechanical and microstructural analysis of waste ceramic optimal concrete
reinforced by hybrid fibers materials: A comprehensive study. Journal of Architectural Environment & Structural
Engineering Research, 5, 11–33.
18. Najm, H. M., Nanayakkara, O., Ahmad, M., Sabri Sabri, M. M. (2022). Colour change of sustainable concrete
containing waste ceramic and hybrid fibre: Effect of temperature. Materials, 15(6), 2174. https://doi.org/10.
3390/ma15062174
19. Arivalagan, S., Sethuraman, V. (2021). Experimental study on the mechanical properties of concrete by partial
replacement of glass powder as fine aggregate: An environmental friendly approach. Materials Today:
Proceedings, 45, 6035–6041.
20. Kassed, G. J., Ali, S. K. (2021). Reuse of glass waste as a partial replacement to fine aggregates in concrete.
Journal of Engineering, 27(8), 43–58. https://doi.org/10.31026/j.eng.2021.08.04
21. No, I. S. (1984). Portland cement. Baghdad-Iraq: The Iraqi Central Organization for Standardization and Quality
Control.
22. ASTM-C1602 (2012). Standard specification for mixing water used in the hydraulic cement concrete. West
Conshohocken, PA, USA: ASTM International.
23. Limit, I. S. (1984). I.Q.S No. 45―Aggregate from natural sources for concrete and construction, ||. Bagdad:
Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control.
24. ASTM-C143 (2012). Standard test method for slump of hydraulic-cement concrete. West Conshohocken, PA:
ASTM International.
25. ASTM-C496 (2012). Standard test method for splitting tensile strength of cylindrical concrete specimens. West
Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.
26. Saeed, A., Najm, H. M., Hassan, A., Qaidi, S., Sabri, M. M. S. et al. (2022). A comprehensive study on the effect of
regular and staggered openings on the seismic performance of shear walls. Buildings, 12(9), 1293. https://doi.org/
10.3390/buildings12091293
27. Qaidi, S., Najm, H. M., Abed, S. M., Özkılıç, Y. O., Al Dughaishi, H. et al. (2022). Concrete containing waste glass
as an environmentally friendly aggregate: A review on fresh and mechanical characteristics. Materials, 15(18),
6222. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15186222
28. Xie, C., Cao, M., Guan, J., Liu, Z., Khan, M. (2021). Improvement of boundary effect model in multi-scale hybrid
fibers reinforced cementitious composite and prediction of its structural failure behavior. Composites Part B:
Engineering, 224, 109219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2021.109219
29. Renuka, G., Melinamani, S., Nadaf, A., Pawar, A., Allipur, B. (2020). The partial replacement of fine aggregate by
glass powder. International Journal of Futures Research and Development, 1(1), 89–98. https://doi.org/10.46625/
IJFRD