The Effect of Sand on Pavement Blocks: Mechanical and Microstructural Analysis

V. I. Seshie

Abstract


In Ghana, the volume of plastic waste generated each year as part of the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) stream has risen. As a result of the challenges associated with its management and disposal, plastic recycling has emerged as one of the most pressing issues in recent years. Waste Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) is plastic waste that is produced in huge quantities and, therefore, a substantial component of the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) stream, which poses a significant danger to the sustainability of the environment. However, studies show the potential usage of PET plastics in producing pavement blocks as a recycling method. Therefore, this research produced pavement blocks by melting PET and mixing it with sand to create a homogenous mixture using different proportions of PET to sand of 30-70% to 70-30% of PET and sand, respectively. The pavement blocks were tested for compressive strength, water absorption and the influence of filler on the micro-structural characteristics of the pavement blocks. The outcome demonstrates that while water absorption reduced with increasing filler content, compressive strength rose as a result. The pavement blocks with the optimal mix are PET30; however, there were higher compressive strengths of 22.843 N/mm², 20.725 N/mm² and 18.462 N/mm² for PET30, PET40 and PET50 that meet the minimum requirement of 17 N/mm² for lightweight structural concrete. Thus, it can be used for the appropriate application. The micro-structural properties of the pavement block showed that the filler materials filled the voids there to enhance the interfacial adhesion and reinforcement effect, thereby increasing the compressive strength and water absorption.

Keywords


Waste PET plastic; plastic-sand pavement blocks; compressive strength; water absorption; microstructural analysis

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References


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