Hello everyone,
Here is my abstract outline for my applied research project, Recycled Materials in Concrete Foundations. This is the abstract only and does not include my original graphic and academic sources, they will be posted in hard copy by April 8th. To view my current sources you can scroll down to the bottom of my blog where they are listed.
Enjoy!
Recycled Materials in Concrete for Foundations
What is the best recyclable material that can be mixed in concrete for foundations in Kamloops, B.C.? This report will focus on three types of recyclable materials consisting of used tires, plastic and glass. All three materials will be crushed or shredded and then mixed in cement to produce a green concrete that is superior to the normal concrete used in foundation walls.
Used tires can be shredded and then mixed with cement to produce a rubberized concrete. Using these tires in concrete has many pros that include rubber having a long life expectancy and being water resistant. Rubber is cheap and gives the surface of concrete some give in both tension or compression. You only need about half the amount of rubber to achieve the same amount of strength. The cons of using rubber in concrete include it being difficult to apply, and that it poses a hazard to workers working with it. Rubber also reduces compressive strength and gives a loss of stiffness to the concrete.
Plastic can be shredded and then mixed with cement to produce a plastic concrete. Using recycled plastic in concrete seems to have many pros and very few cons. Some of the pros include plastic being extremely versatile, durable, light in weight and resistant to chemicals, water and impact. Plastic has excellent thermal and electrical insulation properties, has a low production cost, and is non degradable. However the most important property of plastic is its high strength and ability to improve compressive strength in concrete. The cons of using plastic in concrete are that plastic contains potential harmful chemicals and that it decreases in strength in higher temperatures.
Glass can be crushed as aggregate and mixed with cement to produce a glossy looking type of concrete. Using the recycled glass proves to be a good idea for foundations because it increases the compressive strength in concrete. Other pros consist of the cement increasing in strength in higher temperatures, and its ability to resist abrasion. Glass is very durable and also has the ability to resist water. In addition, the use of fine glass is proven to give better results in concrete than course glass. The only con of using recycled glass in Kamloops, is that there is no local glass recycling plant nearby.
In conclusion, using either plastic or glass in concrete seems to be the best choice. In both materials the pros out way the cons by a mile. Further test at the local concrete plant will help determine if the predictions are correct.
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How does heat expansion and contraction effect the durability of mixing materials like concrete and glass, or is the glass small enough it wont be effected?
ReplyDeleteHey Dave,
ReplyDeleteI have another link that might shed some technical light on the structural comparative process, something you haven't described in your abstract outline. Like are you just worried about compressive strength tests, or do you include shear strength, or what? Do these materials displace conventional aggregate in concrete mixes or do they become a mix that requires proportions of aggregate to be still included? I think you could be in for lots of testing at $?/test to actually get experimental data, and even if you did, it wouldn't be time-tested for lasting stability (28 day compressive strength is just a start). Sorry more questions than answers, but here's that reference:
Chloride transport in fly ash and glass powder modified concretes – Influence of test methods on microstructure.Citation Only Available By: Jain, Jitendra A.; Neithalath, Narayanan. Cement & Concrete Composites, Feb2010, Vol. 32 Issue 2, p148-156, 9p; DOI: 10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2009.11.010; (AN 47361019)
Cheers,
Tony.
It appears that you have done a significant amount of research already, which is great. I was thinking along the same lines as Tony and would like to see you spell out very clearly why someone would want to add anything to concrete. Does it replace some or all of the aggregate? Does it improve the structural qualities of the concrete, or increase the durability? Is it just a place to put waste materials? Does this increase or decrease the cost of the concrete?
ReplyDeleteI can tell that this is a good topic by all of the questions that it is generating. Good work.