Experimental Investigation on Strength Characteristics of Concrete Cubes Using Waste Plastic

Abstract

This report outlines the utilization of municipal plastic waste (MPW) in construction industries. Plastic is a non-bio-degradable substance which takes thousands of years to decompose that creates land as well as water pollution to the environment. The quantity of plastic waste in Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is expanding rapidly. It is estimated that the rate of usage is double for every 10 years. The Plastic usage is large in consumption and one of the largest plastic wastes is polyethylene (PE). The utilization of earth-based clay material resulted in resource depletion and environmental degradation.

Introduction

The text explores the use of plastic waste in manufacturing plastic sand concrete cubes as an alternative to conventional clay concrete, highlighting the properties, methodology, and results of compressive strength testing.

Key Points:

1. Introduction to Plastics:
   • Plastics are synthetic or semi-synthetic polymer-based materials that are lightweight, durable, flexible, and inexpensive.
   • Most modern plastics come from fossil fuels, but renewable sources like corn or cotton derivatives are increasingly used.
2. Properties of Plastic Concrete Cubes:
   • Lightweight, chemically stable, and moldable.
   • Good insulation, impact resistance, transparency, and wear resistance.
   • Poor dimensional stability and low fire resistance.
   • Low processing cost.
   • Plastic decomposes under sunlight, releasing methane and ethylene, increasing surface area.
3. Literature Review:
   • Previous studies show mixing PET plastic or stone dust with sand can produce concrete cubes with:
     • Reduced water absorption (0–5% vs. 15–20% for clay cubes).
     • Compressive strength around 5.6 N/mm² depending on mix ratio.
     • Fire resistance remains a limitation.
4. Objectives:
   • Compare strength of plastic concrete cubes to normal clay concrete.
   • Determine optimal plastic-to-sand ratio for strength.
   • Measure water absorption relative to traditional concrete.
5. Materials and Components:
   • Cement: Ultratech 53 grade.
   • Fine Aggregate: Natural river sand.
   • Plastic Waste: Collected, dried, crushed, and melted for mixing.
6. Methodology:
   • Process Flow: Literature review → material collection → mould preparation → batching → mixing → cube formation → curing → testing.
   • Mixing Ratios: Plastic to sand ratios of 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, and variations with cement ratios for optimal performance.
   • Mixing Process: Melt plastic at 180–200°C, add sand, stir until bonded, pour into moulds, and cure.
7. Results – Compressive Strength:
   • 1:2:1 ratio (cement:sand:plastic): Avg. 2.202 N/mm².
   • 1:3:1 ratio: Avg. 1.617 N/mm².
   • 1:4:1 ratio: Avg. 1.228 N/mm².
   • 1:2:1.5 ratio: Avg. 2.689 N/mm².
   • 1:1:2 ratio: Avg. 4.424 N/mm² (highest observed strength).
   • Trend: Higher plastic content generally increases compressive strength up to an optimal ratio, after which structural performance may decline.

Conclusion

The proposed project presented above intends to resolve in reducing the plastic waste disposal problem as it utilizes the waste even in its finest form and converts that useless material into a useful construction material. Extruder machine plays a prominent role in the conversion of waste plastic into its melted form. Also, extruder does not possess any threats to the environment and hence can be used without any restriction. It also helps in reducing the usage of natural resources which are utilized during the manufacturing of burnt Concrete Cubes, also it reduces the pollution which is generated from kiln during Concrete Cube manufacturing. The final end product can be used as Concrete Cube, which is having a higher strength than conventional Concrete Cube. Also, the water absorption capacity is higher in comparison to conventional Concrete Cube with a lower weight. By noticing all these processes of the use of plastic in the cement sand Concrete Cube, the extension of plastic in the Concrete Cube increases the Concrete Cube compressive strength up to the ratio 1:2:1 (cement to plastic to sand) but when increasing the amount of plastics more the 1:2:1 ratio then it causes difficulty in moulding as well as produce large voids in the Concrete Cube which reduces the strength of the Concrete Cube.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Amit Raj, Suryabhan Dhakad , Harsh Gurjar , Aditya Dhakad. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.