Use of Recycled Glass Bottles As Fine Aggregates in Concrete Mixture
Use of Recycled Glass Bottles As Fine Aggregates in Concrete Mixture
Use of Recycled Glass Bottles As Fine Aggregates in Concrete Mixture
1. Introduction
As time goes by, human civilization is continuously becoming more industrialized.
More factories are built, vehicles are continuously growing in number, and buildings
were built all around. As a result of these, our natural environment was permanently
changed from what it has been twenty years or more.
Over, the last several decades, sociologists have investigated the public's increasing
concern about the environment, but they have had little success explaining attitudes .
toward the environment or the adoption of pro-environment behaviors like recycling
The researcher examine the role of social context in the link between individual
attitudes about the environment and recycling behavior by comparing communities
that vary in their access to recycling programs. Results show that people with
access to a structured recycling program have much higher levels of recycling than do
people lacking such access. Furthermore, individual attitudes toward the environment
affect recycling behavior only in the community with easy access to a structured
recycling program. Individual concern about the environment enhances the effect of the
recycling program, but does not overcome the barriers presented by lack of access.
The human population is continuously growing in number, because of this; there is a
great demand of constructing more structures to facilitate the n eeds of the community.
Quarry operations become rampant to satisfy the need for gravel and sand for
construction. As a consequence there are massive destruction of mountains which has
been one of the major costs of landslides, and flashfloods during earthquakes and
typhoons resulting to loss of thousands or even millions of lives.
The results of this study are expected to benefit the following: (1) the students of
other fields could be provided with a reference and can give them knowledge about
recycled glass bottles as an alternative fine aggregate for concrete mix. This study will
encourage them to study other materials that can be used as a construction material
and awaken their minds regarding environmental protection; (2) the contractors and
home builders will be provided with knowledge and information to improve the
method of construction using other materials as fine aggregate to concrete cement for
construction; (3) the government and non-government sectors are given new ideas of
maximizing their resources on construction projects. This study will also make them
knowledgeable that junk materials can be used as construction material and urge them
to finance further studies for the development of this study.
A number of attempts have been made to successfully use glass as an additive in
concrete compositions. Certain compositions proposed have been successful in
accomplishing specific goals.
2. Literature Review
As a tropical country, Philippines is one of the worlds largest producers of coconut
products such as coconut oil, copra (dried coconut) and desiccated coconut.
Historically, Southern Tagalog, Bicol regions of Luzon and Eastern Visayas were the
centers of coconut productions of land with coconut trees and its population was at least
partly dependent on it for their livelihood yet, large amount of agricultural waste was
disposed. Poor management of disposing may lead to social and economic problem.
Recycling of the disposed material is one method of treating the agricultural waste.
The used of coconut fiber and coconut shell could be a valuable substitute in the
formation of composite material that can be used as a housing construction, suc h as
concrete hollow block [1].
Coconut is famous as multi-function plant that all parts of its plant can be used for
various activities [1, 2]. The use of this agricultural waste due to an assumption is that
it can replace the existing material used in commercial product in order to reduce cost
or improve mechanical properties of the composite material. Industrialists in most of
the coconut producing countries hail the economic, environmental and technological
benefits of utilizing coconut farm wastes [2]. On the farmers' side, agricultural residues
can be a source of extra income. Traditionally, coconut farmers dispose the husks,
spate, petiole and leaves by burning or allowing these farm wastes to rot in the field [1,
2]. However, worldwide interest in using farm residues for value -added products means
that farmers can generate additional income aside from amassing environmental
dividends. Studies have shown that burning of agricultural wastes causes air pollution,
soil erosion and even a decrease in soil biological activity that can eventually lead to
decreased soil fertility [3]. On the other hand, allowing farm residues to rot in the field
may improve the productivity of the soil but the process of decomposition is very slow
leading to accumulation of piles of agricultural wastes that can cause phytosanitary
problem to the coconut plantation, since decaying debris is ideal breeding place for
coconut pest like the rhinoceros beetle [2, 3].
Using agricultural and forest residues for industrial purposes is a much more
environment-safe and friendly more than any other method of wastes disposal being
commonly adopted nowadays. Research and development in the construction industry
are shifting towards exploration of cellulose farm wastes and forest residues processing
and production for building materials [3]. The tremendous potential of agricultu ral and
forest residues can be a solution to the problem of inadequate supply and high cost of
18
3. Experimental Investigation
This experimental research focuses on the effect of using recycled bottles as concrete
material for mass housing projects. This research aims to determine the effect of using
recycled bottles on the properties of hardened concrete namely: compressive strength
and modulus of elasticity. Also included, are the effect of recycled bottles on water cement ratio, quality and size of aggregates and consistency of the mix. Experiments
shall be conducted to acquire the necessary data needed in the analysis. Each
19
experiment shall be conducted in accordance with the standards which are applicable in
our country, in which in our case, specified by ASTM requirements.
Bottles from junkshops are used in this study. These bottles are crushed an d use as a
replacement for fine aggregates for concrete mixture. The researcher used manually
crushed and clean bottles and chosen bottles with the same property for uniformity. The
crushed samples were passed through sieve analysis to ensure that the size of the cullet
will be less than 2.0 mm but greater than 0.0625 mm with accordance to ASTM
standards.
The research concentrates on the effect of using recycled bottles as fine aggregate
and not on its properties as an aggregate. The researchers used only Portland Pozzolanic
Cement (Type IP), which are commonly used in the field at present, for the specimens.
This type of cement has low hardening characteristics [6,7]. It will also cover the
difference between the common concrete cement and concrete recycled glass bottles in
terms of its properties as a fine aggregate. The specimens are tested for compre ssive
strength using Universal Testing Machine (UTM) on its 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th day of
curing. This will be the basis for the data.
The study focuses on compressive strength and elastic modulus. This study also gives
emphasis on the environmental concerns and not on its economic aspect. In addition,
study is also delimited to durability, creep, shrinkage and water tightness. These
four properties of hardened concrete are time-dependent properties which will entail so
much time to determine [8, 10, 14].
3.1. Project Design
The researcher believes that glass bottles can be processed into construction grade
cullet using any convenient mechanical method. For cullet-aggregate blends, glass
cullet can be blended with natural aggregates by any convenient mechanical method.
Normal precautions should be followed to prevent segregation.
Typical aggregates for construction include sands, gravels, crushed rock and recycled
concrete. The glass cullet and cullet aggregate blends should be compared with these
standard specifications for each specific application. The intent of this research is to
encourage regulatory departments to amend specifications to allow glass cullet and
cullet aggregate blends as an alternative to conventional aggregate in numerous
applications. Several states in United States of America, including the Washington State
Department of Transportation, have already included specifications for glass aggregate
[9, 11, 13].
The researcher investigates the effects of using recycled glass bottles as an
alternative fine aggregate. As shown in figure 1, the researchers used recycled bottles
from junkshops. These bottles were cleaned to prevent foreign materials or chemicals
from contaminating the specimens. After cleaning, they were crushed manually and
sieved to ensure uniformity in particle size. The researcher used Class A mix which has
1:2:4 proportion of cement, sand and gravel respectively. Some percentage of sand was
replaced by crushed recycled bottles (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) and control mixture
was also made available. Three (3) specimens were collected from each mixture using
6x12 cylindrical molds and these specimens were tested for compressive strength
using UTM upon its 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day of its curing. Then, the results were
evaluated.
20
21
get mixed, they become unsuitable for use as containers, and are then used for other
purposes, or sent to landfill [15-17]. As shown in figure 3, materials needed in the study
were collected. The glass bottles were cleaned to make sure that it is free from
contaminants and then, it were crushed manually and sieved. The crushed bottles are
then added to concrete mixture in replace of some percentage of sand. Upon the 7th,
14th, 21st, and 28th day of its curing, the samples were tested using universal testing
machine.
4.1.1. Quality and Size of Aggregates: The researcher also believes that the use of
recycled bottles as concrete material has no significant effect on the quality and size of
the coarse aggregates. The researchers used materials which readily available at
hardware stores. The researchers used inch size of coarse aggregate. This size is
22
much appropriate to use rather than the larger 1 inch (G1) size because it will fill into
the voids much better. The researcher also believe that the use of recycled bottles as
concrete material has no significant effect into the quality and size of the coarse
aggregates.
4.1.2. Slump Test Results: Table 2 shows the results for slump test. The amount of
water greatly affects the consistency of the mixture. Based on the water cement ratio
and slump test, the use of recycled bottles as concrete material has no significant effect
on the consistency of the mixture. The consistency and procedural of mixing cement
and aggregates implementing the Class A mixture.
Table 2. Slump Test Results
23
difference of the modulus of elasticity of the Control specimen among the other
samples.
4.3. Advantages of using Recycled Glass as Concrete Material
The problem of disposing and managing solid waste materials in other industrial
countries has become one of the major environmental, economic, and social issues.
Recycling is the most promising waste management process for the disposal of
materials in the waste stream. Many virgin and waste materials are widely used in
concrete composites as substitute materials for construction. One major advantage of
Concrete Recycled Bottle is environment friendly causing of less garbage that will be
thrown in the dump site area. Although the impact of this procedure may not be that
noticeable at present, the researchers believe that in the near future this will be help not
only for the environment but also in the construction industry. Concrete lighter in
weight than ordinary sand-and-gravel concrete is used principally to reduce dead load,
or for thermal insulation, or fill. Another interesting advantage of Concrete Recycled
Bottles is that it is lighter than the conventional concrete mixture. Aside from the
advantages as mentioned before, lightweight concrete is more advantageous in reducing
the weight of the structure, thus giving smaller base shear for earthquake design
purposes. Due to the scarcity of the resources for construction added with the present
economic status in our country, the material cost for construction continuous to go up.
The Concrete Recycled Bottles has a solution on this problem. The use of the
indigenous material for construction produces low cost structures, thus lowering the
construction price and gives more profit for the contractor.
24
6. Conclusion
After determining the value of the results of the forgoing findings, the following
conclusion were drawn: a) The use of recycled glass bottles as an alternative fine
aggregate for concrete mix decreases the water-cement ratio depending on the amount
present in the mixture; b) The use of recycled bottles as fine aggregate decreases the
unit weight of concrete; c) The use of recycled bottles as an alternative for fine
aggregate is not recommended for structural members such as columns, beams and
suspended slabs; d) The modulus of elasticity is dependent with the compressive
strength, and unit weight of concrete, hence, the recycled glass bottles as fine aggregate
decreases the value for modulus of elasticity; e) The use of recycled bottles as an
alternative fine aggregate decreases the amount of material cost for concrete due to
recycled bottle aggregate; f) There is a positive projection in the availability of glass
bottles due for its demands and flexibility in use.
7. Appendix
25
References
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]
[13]
[14]
[15]
26
L. Barbieri, A. Corradi and I. Lancellotti, Glass Matrix Composites from Solid Waste Materials, Journal of
the European Ceramic Society, vol. 21.4, (2001), pp. 453-460.
T. U. Ganiron Jr, Scrap Waste Tire as an Additive in Asphalt Pavement for Road Construction,
International Journal of Advances in Applied Sciences, vol. 1.2, (2012), pp. 31-37.
A. Luz and S. Ribeiro, Use of Glass Waste as a Raw Material in Porcelain Stoneware Tile Mixtures,
Ceramics International, vol. 33.5, (2007), pp. 761-762.
T. U. Ganiron Jr, Concrete Debris a Fine Aggregate for Architectural Finishing Mortar, Architectural
Journal, vol. 2, no. 5, (2012).
J. Srawley, Wide Range Stress Intensity Factor Expressions for ASTM E 399 Standard Fracture Toughness
Specimens, International Journal of Fracture, vol. 12.3, (1976), pp. 475-476.0
T. U. Ganiron Jr, Effects of Rice Hush as Substitute for Fine Aggregate in Concrete Mixture, International
Journal of Advanced Science and Technology, vol. 58, (2013).
M. Lines and A. Glass, Principles and Applications of Ferroelectrics and Related Materials, Oxford
University Press, (2001).
T. U. Ganiron Jr, Technical Specification of Concrete Hollow Blocks with Coconut Shells and Fiber as
Aggregate, Proceedings of the 1st International Concrete Sustainability, Tokyo, Japan, (2013) May 27.
H. Donza and E. F. Irassar, High-Strength Concrete with different Fine Aggregate, Cement and Concrete
Research, vol. 32, no. 11, (2002), pp. 1755-1761.
M. Tavakoli and P. Soroushian, Strengths of Recycled Aggregate Concrete Made using Field-Demolished
Concrete as Aggregate, ACI Materials Journal, vol. 93, no. 2, (1996).
T. U. Ganiron Jr, Recycled Window Glass for Non-Load Bearing Walls, International Journal of
Innovation, Management and Technology, vol. 3, no. 6, pp. 725-730, (2012) December.
P. Pennarun, P. Dole and A. Feigenbaum, Functional Barriers in PET Recycled Bottles Part I,
Determination of Diffusion Coefficients in Bioriented PET with and without Contact with Food Simulants,
Journal of Applied Polymer Science, vol. 92, no. 5, (2004), pp. 2845-2858
T. U. Ganiron Jr, Investigation on the use of Coco Coir Polypropylene as Thermal Insulator, International
Journal of Advanced Science and Technology, vol. 59, (2013), pp. 13-26.
T. U. Ganiron Jr, Utilization and End-Users Acceptability of Compressed Lahar Sediment Blocks as wall
Panel for Low Cost Housing, WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development, vol. 9, no. 3,
(2013), pp. 206-219.
T. U. Ganiron Jr, Recycling of Waste Coconut Shells as Substitute for Aggregates in Mix Proportioning of
Concrete Hollow Blocks, WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development, vol. 9, no. 4, (2013), pp.
290-300.
[16] A. Bilodeau and V. M. Malhotra, Concrete Incorporating High Volumes of ASTM Class F Fly Ashes:
Mechanical Properties and Resistance to De-icing Salt Scaling and to Chloride-Ion Penetration, ACI Special
Publication SP-132, (1992), pp. 319-349.
[17] T. U. Ganiron Jr and N. Ucol-Ganiron, Recycled Glass Bottles: An Alternative Fine Aggregates for
Concrete Mixture, Proceedings of the 4th International Conference of Euro Asia Civil Engineering Forum,
Singapore, (2013) June 26-27.
Author
Tomas Ucol Ganiron Jr. This author obtained his Doctor of
Philosophy in Construction Management at Adamson University
(Philippines) in 2006, and subsequently earned his Master of Civil
Engineering major in Highway and Transportation Engineering at Dela
Salle University-Manila (Philippines) in 1997 and received Bachelor of
Science in Civil Engineering major in Structural Engineering at
University of the East (Philippines) in 1990. He is a registered Civil
Engineer in the Philippines and Professional Engineer in New Zealand.
His main areas of research interest are construction engineering,
construction management, project management and recycled waste
materials. He has been the resource person in various seminars in New
Zealand (like in Auckland University of Technology, University of
Auckland and University of Canterbury). He was connected with
Advanced Pipeline System in New Zealand as Construction Manager
wherein he supervised the sewerage and waterworks projects. He was the
former Department Head of Civil Engineering in FEATI University
(Manila) and former Department Head of Physics in Emilio Aguinaldo
College (Manila). He is also very active in other professional groups like
Railway Technical Society of Australasia and Australian Institute of
Geoscientists where he became committee of Scientific Research. He has
received the Outstanding Civil Engineer in the field of Education given
by the Philippine Media Association Inc. (1996), ASTM Award CA
Hogentogler (2008) by IPENZ in New Zealand and Outstanding
Researcher (2013) in Qassim University, Buraidah City
27
28