The Influence of Waste Glass Powder Fineness on the Properties of Cement Mortars

Abstract

There is now a significant world-wide interest to solve the environmental problems caused by industrial waste and other materials by including such materials in the manufacture of concrete. Utilization of waste glass in concrete production not only provides significant environmental benefits but also enhances performance of the concrete when used at optimum amounts. They may be used in the form of finely ground additive to replace part of the cement or as aggregates in concrete. Either way, their use in concrete would substantially reduce carbon dioxide emissions generated during the production process of Ordinary Portland cement. This study looked at the feasibility of waste glass inclusion as partial cement replacement in cementitious systems. Properties of concrete incorporating waste glass as partial substitution for Portland cement in amounts of 5%, 20% and 30% were investigated. The waste glass material used was obtained solely from green glass cullet ground to a fineness of 300 µm. The results obtained show clearly that glass powder enhances the compressive strength properties of the final concrete product if used at the right level of replacement. The level of replacement plus the size and distribution of the glass particles seem to be of key importance for the advantage of pozzolanic activity to become evident in the short-term.