Recycling of Polyethylene into Strong and Tough Earth-Based Composite Building Materials
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 28, Issue 2
Abstract
Polyethylene (PE) waste often piles up in the environment for up to 30 to 50 years, without complete degradation. This paper describes how PE waste can be used as a reinforcement in laterite bricks for sustainable building materials. The bricks are produced with different volume percentages (0–30 vol. %) of PE. The flexural/compressive strengths and fracture toughness values of the composite blocks are compared with those of mortar (produced from river sand and cement). The composite containing 20 vol. % of PE is shown to have the best combination of flexural/compressive strength and fracture toughness. The flexural/compressive strengths and fracture toughness values increase with increasing volume percentage of PE up to 20 vol. %, before decreasing to minimum values for composites with 30 vol. % of PE. The trends in the measured strengths and fracture toughness values are explained using composite and crack bridging models.
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Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to Prof. Holmer Savastano Jr., Prof. Khosrow Ghavami and Prof. Ting Tan for useful technical discussions. Appreciation is also extended to the World Bank STEP B program, the World Bank African Centers of Excellence Program, the African Development Bank, the African Capacity Building Foundation, the Nelson Mandela Institution and the African University of Science and Technology for their financial support.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 28 • Issue 2 • February 2016
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 2, 2014
Accepted: May 19, 2015
Published online: Jul 14, 2015
Discussion open until: Dec 14, 2015
Published in print: Feb 1, 2016
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