REPLACEMENT OF FINE AGGREGATE WITH

WASTE PLASTIC IN CONCRETE

Sachin K Sankaratti [1], Sagara Rathoda [1], Syed Wajid [1] , Yashas K M [1],
Vinay Venkatesh [2] & Dr. K N Vishwanath [3]
[1]
UG Student, [2] Asst Professor, [3] Prof & HOD, Department Of Civil Engineering, Dayananda Sagar
Academy Of Technology and Management, Bangalore-560082, Karnataka

Abstract— Concrete is combination of cement, aggregates and water. Due to

enormous growth in concrete, aggregates are facing crisis. Apart from this
growth of plastic has provoked the methods to solve environmental issue caused
by plastic. An experimental study is done by partially replacing fine aggregate
with waste PET plastic and investigation has been carried out. The strength
properties of concrete was studied with different waste plastic proportions 5%,
10%, 15%, 20%, 25% by volume. From previous studies it has been found that,
there is a decrease in compressive strength when ratio of waste plastic to
aggregate was increased due to weak bonds between plastic and cement
interface.
In our studies attempts are made to increase the strength properties by adding
several additive agents. The mix for which compressive strength is least is taken
and to that mix some admixtures which are capable of increasing the strength
properties is added and tested for 7 & 28 days of compressive strength and
flexural strength of concrete.

Keywords: Waste PET Plastic, Additive Agents, Compressive Strength, Flexural

Strength.

I. INTRODUCTION
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine aggregate and coarse aggregate
bonded together with a fluid cement that hardens over time. Plastic disposal has
harmful effects on the environment due to their long biodegradation period, and
therefore one of the logical methods for reduction of their negative effects is the
application of these materials in other industries. Concrete plays an important role in
the beneficial use of these materials in construction. Although some of these
materials can be beneficially incorporated in concrete, both as part of the
cementitious binder phase or as aggregates, it is important to realize that not all waste
materials are suitable for such use. The use of plastic waste as a natural aggregate
substitute in concrete is a relatively recent concept. One of the first significant
reviews on the use of waste plastic in concrete focused on the advantages and
financial benefits of such use, besides their physical and mechanical properties. And
more over use of plastic as aggregate gives a solution to the problems encountered
with the quarrying of natural aggregates.
 II. RELATED WORK
A. B Harini (2015) has made an investigation of using PET bottles as a partial
replacement of Fine Aggregate. The strength properties of M30 grade concrete was
studied with different plastic percentage proportions and concluded that strength
properties decreases as percentage of plastics increases and also concluded that this
type of replacement is well adopted where aggregates are in crisis.
B. Amalu.R.G (2016) investigated the usage of waste plastic in concrete and
concluded that workability will be increased because the plastic being less
absorbent to water content and reduces the pollution of environment, scarcity of fine
aggregate. However the strength properties had decreasing nature when percentage
of waste plastics were increased.
C. Brahim Safi (2013) had conducted an investigation by using plastic waste a fine
aggregate in self compacting mortars. Concluded that this plastic waste type can be
used successfully as fine aggregate in self compacting mortars (or concrete).
Fluidity is significantly improved by the presence of these waste. Reduction in
Compressive strength was between 15 % and 33% for mortar containing 20 % to
50% plastic waste.
D. R.V.Silva (2012) had conducted an investigation on concrete containing paste
waste as aggregate and influence of curing conditions on the durability related
performance of concrete. He concluded that workability decreases with increasing
amount of coarser ,flakier and irregular shaped plastic aggregates. The gap between
these values widened as all concrete specimens wore cured in progressively drier
environments with reductions varying between 11.1%,28.3% of coarser plastic
aggregate specimens cured .

III. MATERIALS AND THEIR PROPERTIES

The materials used in this study are:
 OPC cement confirming to IS 12269:1987
 Fine aggregate
 PET Plastic Waste
 Coarse aggregate
 Water
 Cow dung Ash
 Tapioca Starch

Cement The fineness of cement is 3%, specific gravity of cement is 3.07, standard
consistency of cement is 30%, Initial setting time is 42 minutes and final setting time
is 570 minutes.
Fine aggregate Natural river sand Uncrushed natural river sand is used as fine
aggregate in this investigation. As per IS 383:1970 fine aggregate properties were
tested and concluded that the fine aggregate in this investigation falls in zone-II. The
specific gravity is 2.576.
PET Plastic Waste Plastic used in this investigation is PET (polyethylene
terepthalate) size is below 4.75 mm.
Coarse aggregate As per IS 383:1970 the nominal size is 20 mm is used. The shape
of coarse aggregate is angular, water absorption capacity is 0.4%, specific gravity is
2.64.
Water Normal Tap water is used in this investigation
Cow Dung Ash Cow dung cakes burnt under normal atmospheric conditions and size
is below 300μm.
Tapioca Starch Tapioca Starch used was under normal food grade quality, size of
the particles is less than 75μm.

IV. METHODOLOGY
Mix design was made for M20 grade concrete as per IS 10262:2009. The mixes were
made by partially replacing plastic to fine aggregate of percentage
5%,6%,8%,10%,15%,20% & 25% by volume. By taking the mix with least
compressive strength was enhanced it with cow dung ash of percentage
5%,10%,15%. The w/c ratio is 0.53. The mix proportions are shown in table 1.

Table 1: Mix proportion of M20 grade with w/c of 0.53

COW
DUNG
FINE COARSE WATER
MIX CEMENT ASH / PLASTIC
3 AGGREGATE AGGREGATE in
NAME in Kg/m TAPIOCA in Kg/m3
in Kg/m3 in Kg/m3 Kg/m3
STARCH
in Kg/m3
B-0 414 0 700 0 1225 219.42
B-5 414 0 665 30.36 1225 219.42
B-10 414 0 630 60.73 1225 219.42
B-15 414 0 595 91.09 1225 219.42
B-20 414 0 560 121.46 1225 219.42
B-25 414 0 525 151.83 1225 219.42
C-1 414 42.82 525 151.83 1225 219.42
C-2 414 85.64 525 151.83 1225 219.42
C-3 414 128.46 525 151.83 1225 219.42
T-1 414 16.2 525 151.83 1225 219.42
T-2 414 32.4 525 151.83 1225 219.42
T-3 414 48.61 525 151.83 1225 219.42
 V. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

Workability:
Workability was measured in terms of slump. The slump results are shown in table-2.

Table 2: Slump value

SPECIMEN SLUMP
NAME VALUE
B-0 83
B-5 83
B - 10 84
B - 15 85
B - 20 87
B - 25 92
C-1 88
C-2 84
C-3 78
T-1 91
T-2 93
T-3 94

Unit Weight Of Hardened Concrete:

The weights of waste plastic concrete specimens have been determined before
conducting the destructive tests. Volume of each of the specimen is (0.15)3 m3. Unit
weight of the specimen is calculated as weight per unit volume. The results indicate
that the unit weight tends to decrease with an increase in the plastic content. The
values of unit weights are shown in table

Table 3: Unit Weight of Concrete

SPECIMEN DENSITY3
IN
NAME Kg/m
B-0 2397.037
B-5 2373.333
B - 10 2352.600
B - 15 2290.370
B - 20 2251.852
B - 25 2207.407
C-1 2213.333
C-2 2245.925
C-3 2287.407
T-1 2168.890
T-2 2174.815
T-3 2178.962
 Fig 1: Unit Weight of Concrete

Compressive strength
The results of the compressive strength for the waste plastic concrete mixes at 7
days and 28 was determined. By increasing the waste plastic to fine aggregate ratio
the results shown a tendency to decrease on compressive strength. This is because
there is poor adhesive strength between the surface of the waste plastic and the
cement paste. The graphical representation is shown in fig 2. However after the
addition of cow dung, the compressive strength is almost matching with the
reference mix. On the other hand after the addition of tapioca starch the strength
further decreased and is represented in fig 3. .

Fig 2: Compressive strength versus percentage of plastic added

 Fig 3: Compressive strength after the addition of Cow Dung Ash & Tapioca
Starch

Flexural Strength
The results of the flexural strength tests for the plastic concrete mixtures are
graphically represented as shown in Fig 4 & Fig 5.

Fig 4: Flexural strength versus percentage of plastic added

Fig 5: Flexural strength after the addition of Cow Dung Ash & Tapioca Starch

VI. CONCLUSION

1. When the ratio of plastic to aggregate increases, there is decrease in strength

properties. However, after the addition of COW DUNG ASH, the strength
properties is nearly matching with the reference mix.

2. The hardened concrete density declined as the percentage of plastics in concrete

increased when compared to reference mix. This can be attributed due to lower
density of plastic. However at 28 days curing age, the lowest dry density (2178.96
Kg/m3) exceeds the range of dry density of structural lightweight concrete.

3. The slump values of waste plastic concrete showed a tendency to decrease below
the slump of the reference concrete mixture, which means the concrete is more
workable.

4. Partially replacing fine aggregate with 25% of plastic in concrete the compressive
strength has been decreased by 30.41% when compared to reference mix. By
taking the mix which has least compressive strength (i.e where partial
replacement of plastic is high) we have enhanced it by addition of cow dung ash
by 5% ,10%,15%. The mix in which 15% of cow dung ash is used, the
compressive strength increased by 27.05% when compared to the mix with no
cow dung ash and plastic percentage of 25%.

5. Decrease in flexural strength of concrete has been observed with increase in plastic
content.

6. Use of Waste Plastic as an aggregate gives a solution to the problems encountered

with the quarrying of natural aggregate.

7. Using recycled plastic waste, the environmental issues related to landfills can be
reduced to some extent also this can be one of the way to dispose plastic
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