Production of Segmental Retaining Wall Units from Recycled Mixed Glass and Plastic

To increase the recycling potential of mixed glass, this research proposes to manufacture segmental retaining wall (SRW) brick, made from recycled unsorted mixed glass bonded with plastic. To demonstrate the proof of concept different percentages of mixed glass is mixed with heated plastic to produce a new material that could be used as segmental retaining wall (SRW) bricks. For optimum glass plastic mixture compressive strength of the final product exceed the ASTM requirement for that of segmental retaining wall (SRW) bricks. Due to the outdoor landscaping application, the aesthetic qualities of these bricks will be investigated so that colored bricks can be manufactured using the optimum glass plastic mixture. The durability of bricks made of optimum glass plastic mixture compared well with that for current SRW bricks in commercial use. The life cycle cost analysis suggested that the cost of manufacturing glass plastic bricks is much cheaper than the segmental retaining wall (SRW) bricks. Hence the outcome of this study is the production of a viable, superior and inexpensive SRW brick made from recyclable materials that is sent to landfills.