Use of recycled glass for concrete masonry blocks. Final report

Abstract

A two-year research project was conducted to study the technical and economic feasibility of using mixed-color crushed waste glass for concrete masonry. From a technical standpoint, two problems had to be confronted. First, it was known that the silica in glass is highly reactive in the alkaline environment of portland cement concrete. Second, there was the possibility of strength loss, as crushed glass particles with smooth surfaces were substituted for regular aggregate. Both problems were solved in the course of this research. It was found that waste glass ground to mesh size No. 30 or smaller does not exhibit any expansion due to alkali-silica reaction (ASR). Another significant research finding was that very finely ground glass exhibits pozzolanic properties and therefore is suitable as a partial replacement for portland cement. The economic feasibility of concrete block masonry with glass both as aggregate and cement substitution was evaluated and found to be encouraging.