Abstract:
Concrete is the most extensively used construction material in the world and is the second
only to water as the most heavily consumed substance, with about six billion tons produced
every year. It has emerged as the dominant construction material for the infrastructure needs
of the 21st century. Concrete is a composite material that consists essential of a binding
medium, such as a mixture of Portland cement and water, within which are embedded
particles or fragment of aggregate, usually a combination of fine and coarse aggregates.
Plastics are a vast group of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that are often made of
polymers. Because of their plasticity, plastics can be moulded, extruded, and pressed into
solid objects of different sizes. Its extensive use is due to its flexibility, as well as a number of
other properties such as light weight, durability, and low manufacturing costs. The high use of
plastics has resulted in an increase in solid waste, with domestic waste accounting for a
significant portion of it. Since this waste is not biodegradable and takes up a lot of space, it is
considered a serious environmental problem. To overcome these adverse effects, recycling
plastic waste and using it in concrete can be an effective way to protect the environment. In
this study, an attempt was made to experimentally evaluate the mechanical properties of
concrete with recycled HDPE plastic wastes. The control mix was made and the other mix
containing 8.8% of plastic waste in order to compare their characteristics, it was observed
that the workability of partial replacement mix has decreased, the compressive strength too
has decreased by 5.7%, and even the water absorption percentage decreased by 0.1 %
compared to the concrete with 0% plastic wastes. The maximum compressive strength of a
control mix after 28 days of curing was 29.7 MPa while the other mix with 8.8% of plastic
wastes was 28 MPa. The incorporating of plastic waste can slightly reduce compressive
strength due to its lower bonding capacity in the mix but this substitution helps reduce plastic
pollution.
