Experimental Evaluation of Waste PET Bottles as a Sustainable Building Material
Publication: Journal of Architectural Engineering
Volume 30, Issue 2
Abstract
Sustainable development and the preservation of the natural environment are two concepts that are becoming increasingly important in the construction sector, leading to a growing interest in the development of ecofriendly building solutions. In this regard, the use of waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles as a construction material is an interesting alternative that can help to reduce the environmental impact of the building activity at little or no cost, while providing a second life to a material that is one of the main sources of pollution. The present study analyses the mechanical behavior of PET bottles for their use as construction materials, carrying compression tests to assess the elastic properties of PET bottles filled with sand or plastic waste, both alone and embedded in a concrete matrix. In a second part of the study, a finite-element method model of an existing water tank built with PET bottles in Tanzania is developed and tested. The results obtained show the suitability of the composite bottle-and-concrete samples as a sustainable construction technique.
Practical Applications
Environmental sustainability is an increasingly important aspect in our society and all its productive sectors, and the construction industry is no exception. In this regard, diverse initiatives have been proposed to introduce waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles as a construction material, which provides three direct benefits: offering a low-cost construction material, reducing the consumption of new resources, and giving a second life to waste material that would otherwise end up in landfills or in the environment. However, to use these new sustainable materials in safety conditions, it is necessary to understand their mechanical and structural behavior and treat them with the same rigor as we treat conventional construction materials such as concrete or steel. In this sense, in the present study, a testing campaign is conducted to assess the compressive strength of PET bottles filled with sand or plastic, as well as their combined use with concrete to form walls in buildings or water tanks.
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Acknowledgments
Special thanks are given to Tilman Keding for his valuable help during the conduction of the tests. Special thanks are given to María Pastor and the Born to Learn Tanzania NGO for their contribution to the on-site project.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Architectural Engineering
Volume 30 • Issue 2 • June 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 27, 2023
Accepted: Jan 29, 2024
Published online: Apr 12, 2024
Published in print: Jun 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Sep 12, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Buildings
- Business management
- Construction materials
- Construction wastes
- Elastic analysis
- Engineering materials (by type)
- Environmental engineering
- Green buildings
- Material mechanics
- Material properties
- Materials engineering
- Pollutants
- Practice and Profession
- Recycling
- Solid wastes
- Structural analysis
- Structural engineering
- Structures (by type)
- Sustainable development
- Wastes
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