Experimental Investigation on Strength Characteristics of Concrete Using Waste Glass Powder and Polypropylene Fibers

Abstract

The most common construction material is concrete, yet the high consumption of natural materials and cement leads to the destruction of the environment. As a solution to this, alternative waste materials and fibres are being applied to concrete. This work examines how the waste glass powder can be used as a partial replacement of cement and polypropylene fibres as reinforcement in the concrete mechanical properties. Glass powder, a non-biodegradable waste, was incorporated at 5% and 10% partial replacement of cement, and the polypropylene fibres were incorporated at 1% by volume. Concrete specimens were cast in the three forms of cubes, beams and cylinders using M30 grade concrete. Some of the tests that are performed are slump cone test, compressive strength, split tensile strength and flexural strength. The findings showed that the workability was slightly lowered with the addition of waste glass, but the tensile and flexural properties were enhanced considerably with the addition of polypropylene fibres. This research paper concludes that waste glass powder and polypropylene fibres are effectively applicable in the sustainable production of concrete, which minimises the environmental impact and increases ductility.