Use of glass waste in concrete mixes
Use of glass waste in concrete mixes
In light of the increasing environmental challenges and rapid growth in the construction sector, there is a need for innovative solutions and promising ideas that can reduce harmful environmental impacts and achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Therefore, in this article, Earth Guards will discuss the details of an important innovation in the field of the concrete industry, so continue reading.
Glass waste is a challenge
It is no secret that glass waste is a substance that is difficult to decompose in nature, as indicated by the statistics ofUnited Nations Environment Program (UNEP), which say that millions of tons of glass waste are accumulating in the environment around us, an environmental burden that is increasing day by day.
This was confirmed by a country like India, which is one of the largest glass producing countries, as it suffers from low recycling rates of up to only 45%. This is what prompted some researchers to conduct a study – published by the “Science Direct” website – showing the feasibility of using glass waste in concrete mixes instead of cement.
Components of this innovation
The important question here is: How can we mix glass waste with concrete? The answer to this question is that this innovative scientific method is based on grinding glass waste until it becomes a pozzolanic material with a diameter of less than 75 micrometers (pozzolanic material is a substance that contains silicon and aluminum oxides, and is characterized by its ability to interact with calcium hydroxide in the presence of water, to form cement compounds). Then the concrete becomes stronger.
It is worth noting that ground glass is added to traditional concrete components – such as cement, sand, and aggregate – in measured proportions, and the mixture is mixed well to ensure a homogeneous distribution after pouring, then the concrete is treated in appropriate ways to ensure the interaction of the glass with the concrete components; Which improves its environmental properties.
Benefits and Challenges
Introducing glass waste into traditional concrete achieves many environmental and technical benefits. Numerous academic research has shown that using glass – instead of cement – in concrete helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the cement industry, which causes severe pollution, and is even the most environmentally polluting industry.
This approach also offers distinct opportunities to reduce waste through recycling it, and improving the properties of concrete. This paves the way for achieving a circular economy. In addition, this glass-mixed concrete resists environmental corrosion and is characterized by its ability to reduce water absorption. Which extends its lifespan, which significantly reduces environmental footprint rates.
Despite all of this, this promising innovation still faces some challenges, the most prominent of which is the interaction of alkali silica (a substance found in sand and in most types of glass, and it is one of the most abundant minerals in the earth’s crust), which is a major obstacle when using glass in the manufacture of concrete. When hydroxyl ions in cement react with silica in the glass – in the presence of water – the concrete cracks. The solution to this problem lies in the use of glass in precise proportions, while introducing fly ash as a supplementary material that helps bind the concrete components together.
The bottom line is that such ideas are a good opportunity to provide more sustainable achievements at all levels, ensuring a healthy life and an environment with resources available to us and future generations, and all of this is the essence of the seventeen goals ofSustainable Development.
