Muthanna Journal of Engineering and Technology
Volume (12), Issue (1), Year (30 June 2024), Pages (22-30)
DOI:10.52113/3/eng/mjet/2024-12-01/22-30
Research Article By:
Mohammed Tariq and Isam Alyaseri
Corresponding author E-mail: mohammed.t.a@mu.edu.iq
ABSTRACT
Solid waste is becoming a worldwide issue that must be delt with to alleviate resource depletion and to face the pollution problem. One of the major components in solid wastes is plastic. The yearly waste generation of plastics has been rising significantly. With high health problem associated with plastic waste, many approaches were introduced for recycling. Using plastic waste in concrete mix is one approach for plastic recycling that is gaining more interest globally. In Iraq, where huge amounts of plastic waste are generating daily, the need for this approach is vital. Hollow concrete blocks are of the most public building bricks used around the country. This paper aims to examine how properties of compressive strength, flexural strength, water absorption, and dry density would affect when hollow concrete blocks are used for recycling plastic waste processed as clasps of ring strips. After cutting and arranged, PET ring clasps were introduced to the mix in varying quantities (3, 4, 6, and 8) and added to hollow blocks of size 360 mm x 200 mm x 200 mm. After concrete blocks casting and curing for 28 days, they were tested for their physical properties. Most of the central physical properties of these hollow blocks were identified and showed in this study. The results showed that there was no slump before adding the clasp of ring strips, a noticeable decrease in the fresh density of the concrete as the content of PET plastic waste increases, and an increase in the compressive strength with the increase of the number of PET clasps to 6 and then decreased when increasing to 8. Results showed an increase in flexural strength for samples with clasps of ring strips. The water absorption increases with the increase of the number of PET clasps to 3, and after that, the water absorption starts to decrease with the increase in the number of PET clasps. The dry density decreases with the increase of the number of PET clasps to 3, and after that, starts to increase with the increase in the number of PET clasps. The results revealed that 6 ring clasps strips of PET (2.4 kg plastic/cubic meter of concrete) added was the optimum mix.
Keywords: Hollow concrete blocks in Iraq, recycling strips of PET plastic waste.