USE OF PET BOTTLES IN CONCRETE

ABSTRACT
Waste plastic bottles are major cause of solid waste disposal. Polyethylene
Terephthalate (PET, PETE or polyester) is commonly used for carbonated
beverage and water bottles. Collection, hauling and disposal of waste plastic
bottles creates an additional environmental impact. In a landfill or in environment,
plastic bags take up to1000 year to degrade. This is an environmental issue as
waste plastic bottles are difficult to biodegrade and involves processes either to
recycle or reuse. The safe disposal of non-recyclable thin plastics bags is the most
challenging issue for the solid waste management across the globe. Even today,
at least15% of total plastic waste remains untreated.

Concrete is the first choice for construction in many countries today. This has
increased the fast vanishing of natural resources. It could be worth experimenting
to use non recyclable plastic bags in concrete to overcome the dual issue of
shortage of raw material and safe disposal of leftover plastic to environment.
Today the construction industry is in need of finding cost effective materials for
increasing the strength of concrete structures.

This paper presents a comparative study of compressive strength and split tensile
strength of concrete made by mixing of waste PET bottles as concrete constituent.
This study focuses on the possibility of using the waste PET bottles as the partial
replacement of aggregate in Portland cement. Concrete with 1%, 2%, 4% and 6%
PET bottle fibres for fine aggregate were produced and compared against control
mix with no replacement.
.





CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
The present Indian concrete industry is consuming about 370 million m
3
of
concrete every year and it is expected, that it shall reach about 580 million m
3
by
2022. The re-formation of natural sources is beyond the proportion of mankind.
Hence the increased demand of concrete has raised a serious question on the
quickly vanishing valuable natural sources. It is therefore has become a necessity
to find an alternate material could be used along with the conventional materials
and try to reduce the quick and huge usage of valuable sources. A new term
evolved called green concrete it is a concrete prepared by using the waste
products of different industries with the conventional materials. Wide variety of
such wastes are already being added and tested for various observations and
their effects on different aspects of concrete properties

Among different waste fractions, plastic waste deserves special attention on
account non-biodegradable property which is creating a lot of problems in the
environment. In India approximately 40 million tons of solid waste is produced
annually. This is increasing at a rate of 1.5 to 2% every year. Plastics constitute
12.3% of total waste produced most of which is from discarded water bottles. The
PET bottles cannot be disposed of by dumping or burning, as they produce
uncontrolled fire or contaminate the soil and vegetation.

The plastic is one of the recent engineering materials which have appeared in the
market all over the world. There has been a steep rise in the production of plastics
from a mere 30 million KN in 1955; it has touched 1000 million KN at present.
Plastics are normally stable and not biodegradable. So, their disposal is a
problem.
Research works are going on in making use of plastics wastes effectively as
additives in plain and reinforced concrete mixes for variety of purposes. Different
forms and types of wastes are utilised to check the feasibility of them in concrete.
This study attempts to give a contribution to the effective use of waste PET bottles
in concrete in order to prevent the ecological and environmental strains caused by
them, also to limit the high amount of environmental degradation.



Considerable researches and studies were carried out in some countries like USA
and UK on this topic. However, there have been very limited studies in India on
plastics in concrete. Hence an attempt on the utilization of waste Poly-ethylene
Terephthalate (PET) bottle granules as fine aggregate is done and its mechanical
behaviour is investigated.

A substantial growth in the consumption of plastic is observed all over the world in
recent years, which has led to huge quantities of plastic-related waste. Recycling
of plastic waste to produce new materials like concrete or mortar appears as one
of the best solution for disposing of plastic waste, due to its economic and
ecological advantages. Several works have been performed or are under way to
evaluate the properties of cement-composites containing various types of plastic
waste as aggregate, filler or fibre. Considering the above facts attempt is made to
make concrete using locally PET bottle waste.
This paper presents a review on the recycling plastic waste as aggregate in
cement mortar and concrete productions.
Worldwide, approximately 7.5 million tons of PET were collected in 2011. This
gave 5.9 million tons of flake. In 2009 3.4 million tons were used to produce fibre,
500,000 tons to produce bottles, 500,000 tons to produce a PET sheet for
thermoforming, 200,000 tons to produce strapping tape and 100,000 tons for
miscellaneous applications. (Source: PCI, www.pcipetpackaging.co.uk ).










CHAPTER 2
ABOUT THE PROJECT

Objectives of the Proposed Project
The main objectives of this research proposal are to evaluate the possibility of
using granulated plastic waste materials. The following were also proposed.
1) As partial substitute for the fine aggregate (sand) in concrete composites
2) To investigate the structural behavior of such replaced concrete
components
3) To investigate the mechanical behavior of the components by using fibers
4) To determine the percentage of plastic fibre which gives more strength
when compared to control concrete.

Importance of the present project
The problem of disposing and managing solid waste materials in all countries has
become one of the major environmental, economical, and social issues. A
complete waste management system including source reduction, reuse, recycling,
land-filling, and incineration needs to be implemented to control the increasing
waste disposal problems.

Typically a plastic is not recycled into the same type of plastic products made from
recycled plastics are often not recyclable. The use of biodegradable plastics is
increasing. If some of these get mixed in the other plastics for recycling, the
reclaimed plastic is not recyclable because the variance in properties and melt
temperatures.

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the possibility of using granulated plastic
waste materials to partially substitute for the fine aggregate (sand) in concrete
composites.







APPROACH
Experiment were conducted on concrete prepared by partial replacement of sand
by waste polyethylene terephthalate bottle granules size 20. In this project, 0.5%,
1%, 2%, 4% & 6% of traditional fine aggregate is replaced for M25 grade concrete
and the mix design was prepared.
MATERIALS
For the preparation of concrete cubes cement, coarse aggregate, fine aggregate,
waste polyethylene terephthalate bottle granules in different proportions have
been used.
CEMENT
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets
and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together
Portland cement is a basic ingredient of concrete. The most common use for
portland cement is in the production of concrete. The specific gravity of cement is
3.1.
In the present study, Ordinary Portland cement of 53 grades available in local
market is used in the investigation. The cement used has been tested for various
proportions as per IS 4031-1988 and found to be conforming to various
specifications of IS 12269- 1987. The specific gravity was 3.15 and fineness was
3200cm
2
/gm.

Fig. 1. Cement





COARSE AGGREGATE
Crushed angular granite metal of 20 mm (60%) and 12.5 mm (40%) from a local
source was used as coarse aggregate. The specific gravity of 2.60 and fineness
modulus 7.13 was used.



Fig. 2. Coarse Aggregate

FINE AGGREGATE
Fine and coarse aggregate make up the bulk of concrete mixture. River sand was
used as fine aggregate. The river sand with specific gravity of 2.60 and fineness
modulus 3.25 was used in the investigation.





Fig. 3. Fine Aggregate

PLASTIC FIBRES
The PET bottles were used as plastic fibres in the concrete in the present
experimental study. The waste polyethylene terephthalate bottle granules having
thickness of less than 20 microns were used in the experimental study. The bags
were shredded in the form of fibres by two methods ie. manually and by
shredders.


Fig.4. PET bottle flakes


Fig.5. Plastic fibres

WATER
Water which is free from any impurities must be used for the casting of concrete
cubes as well as for the purpose of curing of the concrete cube specimens.For all


the proportion of mixes, tap water has been used for mixing and curing of concrete
blocks.

CHAPTER 3
EXECUTION OF PROJECT
GENERAL
In this chapter, the results obtained from the tests made on the properties of glass
powder concrete mixes in their hardened state are presented and discussed.
The detailed discussion on strength and durability related properties of glass
powder concrete mixes are presented.
EXPERIMENTAL PLAN
In this project, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 4% & 6% of traditional fine aggregate is replaced for
M25 grade concrete. The replacement percent is by volume of total aggregate
content derived from the mixture proportioned.
Cube specimens of size 150 mm x 150 mm 150 mm, cylinder specimens of 150
mm diameter and 300 mm height and prism specimens of size 100 mm 100 mm
500 mm of 18 numbers each were casted for different proportions with PET
bottles (grounded) and compared against a control mixture[5]. Slump test was
conducted on fresh concrete to determine the workability. The tests performed on
hardened concrete after 7 and 28 days of curing were compression test, flexure
test and split tensile test.
The collected waste PET bottle flakes are shown in Figure 4 and the plastic fibre
(ground) is shown in Figure 5.
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
The cube specimen of the polyethylene terephthalate concrete mix is tested under
compression. The compressive strength of the concrete mixes polyethylene
terephthalate, will depend upon mix proportions, quality of the materials used, and
curing conditions.



MIX DESIGN
The mix design for M25 grade concrete is calculated using IS 456:2000, IS
10262:2009. The water cement ratio adopted in the mix is 0.45. The materials
required as per design are given in Table 1.
TABLE I
MATERIALS REQUIRED AS PER IS METHOD OF DESIGN


w/c ratio


Quantity of Materials( Kg/m
3
)


Cement

Fine aggregate

Coarse aggregate


0.45

425.78

516.05

1175.92

The properties of materials used are as follows:-
Specific gravity of cement = 3.15
Specific gravity of fine aggregate = 2.60
Specific gravity of coarse aggregate = 2.60

Water absorption:-
Coarse aggregate = 0.5%
Fine aggregate = 1%
Mix Proportions of plastic fibres:-
The mix proportion was done for various percentages of plastic fibres i.e., 0.5%,
1%, 2%, 4% and 6% replacement for fine aggregates. The mix proportions for the
various batches are given in table II.
TABLE II
MATERIALS REQUIRED AS PER IS METHOD OF DESIGN
Plastic fibres
(%)

Water (Kg/m3)


Cement (Kg/m3)





Fine aggregate
Kg/m3


Coarse
aggregateKg/m3


MIXING AND CASTING
Mixing being an important aspect of any successful experiment and to avail the
desired results, utmost care was taken in the mixing and casting process. All
materials were mixed with the standard practice of mixing them in a mixer and the
plastic fibres were added to the mix. Specimens were prepared by following the
standard methods of mould preparation. Total 48 cubes of the size of
150X150X150 mm were prepared for the compressive strength tests.

Fig 10. Concrete cube specimens

CURING
When most people think of curing, they think only of maintaining moisture on the
surface of the concrete. But curing is more than thatit is giving the concrete what
it needs to gain strength properly. Concrete strength depends on the growth of
crystals within the matrix of the concrete. These crystals grow from a reaction


between Portland cement and watera reaction known as hydration. If there isn't
enough water, the crystals can't grow and the concrete doesn't develop the
strength it should. If there is enough water, the crystals grow out like tiny rock-hard
fingers wrapping around the sand and gravel in the mix and intertwining with one
another.

Curing is the process of preventing the loss of moisture from the concrete surface.
Curing can be done either by moist curing or by membrane curing. In the study, all
the specimens were tested for a period of 7 to 28 days.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

Tests on specimens
All the cast specimens were de-moulded after 24 hours and were placed in curing
tank for a period of 7 to 28 days. The specimens were taken for testing such as
compression test, split tensile strength test and flexure test. The specimens were
tested in the universal testing machine.

Three numbers of specimens in each were tested and the average value is
calculated. The results were compared and analysed with that of control mix.

The test set up and the failure pattern of specimens for Compression test, Split
tensile test and Flexural strength test are shown in Figure 11, Figure 12 and
Figure 13 respectively.





Fig 13. Compression test set up


Fig 14. Split tensile test set up





Fig. 15. Flexural test set up

Compressive strength test
The compressive strength of the cube specimen is calculated using the following
formula:
Compressive Strength, f
c
= P/A N/mm
2

Where P = Load at failure in N
A = Area subjected to compression in mm
2

The graph shown in figure 16. illustrates the variation of the compressive strength
of specimens with different replacement percentage of fine aggregates by plastic
PET.

Split tensile strength test
The split tensile strength of the cylinder specimen is calculated using the following
formula:
Split Tensile Strength, f
sp
= 2P/ Ld N/mm
2

Where, P = Load at failure in N
L = Length of the Specimen in mm
d = Diameter of the Specimen in mm
The graph shown in figure 17 illustrates the variation of the split tensile strength of
specimens with different replacement percentage of fine aggregates by plastic
PET fibres.


Flexural strength test
The flexural strength of the prism specimen is calculated using the following
formula:
The flexural strength when a >13.3 cm for 10 cm specimen,
f
b
= Pa/ bd
2
The flexural strength when a < 13.3cm for 10 cm specimen
f
b
= 3 Pa /bd
2
Where,
b = measured width of specimen in cm
d = measured depth in cm of the specimen at the point of failure.
a = distance of the crack from the nearer support in cm
P= maximum load in Kg applied to the specimen.
The graph shown in figure 18 illustrates the variation of the split tensile strength of
specimens with different replacement percentage of fine aggregates by plastic
PET fibres.





















CHAPTER 5
TEST RESULTS

Overall results of development of compressive strength in concrete with age
Age in
days

Compressive strength, MPa
% of
PET
bottle
fibres
0 % 0.5% 1% 2% 4% 6%
7 days 20.50 22.50 26.70 27.05 26.95 25.95
28
days
32.25 34.15 39.90 39.95 38.78 36.85

GRAPHS

Fig. 16. Variation of compressive strength development with age in concrete
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
0 0.5 1 2 4 6
C
o
m
p
r
e
s
s
i
v
e

S
t
r
e
n
g
t
h

(
M
P
a
)

Percentage of PET bottle fibres
Compressive Strength v/s % of Plastic
Fibres
7 days Strength
28 days Strength


Overall results of development of split tensile strength in concrete with age
Age in
days
Split tensile strength, MPa
% of
PET
bottle
fibres
0 % 0.5% 1% 2% 4% 6%
28
days
1.87 1.97 2.05 2.12 2.09 2.04




Fig.17. Variation of split tensile strength development with age in concrete





1.7
1.75
1.8
1.85
1.9
1.95
2
2.05
2.1
2.15
0 0.5 1 2 4 6
S
p
l
i
t

T
e
n
s
i
l
e

S
t
r
e
n
g
t
h

(
M
p
a
)

Percentage of PET bottle fibres
Split Tensile Strength v/s % of Plastic Fibres
28 days strength


Overall results of development of flexural strength in concrete with age
Age in
days

Flexural strength, MPa
% of
PET
bottle
fibres
0 % 0.5% 1% 2% 4% 6%
28
days
3.1 4.4 5.2 5.6 5.8 5.7




Fig.18. Variation of flexural strength development with age in concrete






0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
0 0.5 1 2 4 6
F
l
e
x
u
r
a
l

S
t
r
e
n
g
t
h

(
M
p
a
)

Percentage of PET bottle fibres
Flexural Strength v/s % of Plastic Fibres
28 days strength


DISCUSSION ON THE TEST RESULTS

An appreciable increase in the compressive strength is observed till 2%
replacement of the fine aggregate with PET bottles fibres and then the
compressive strength is gradually reduced as shown in figure 16. Therefore, the
replacement of fine aggregate with 2% replacement is found to be reasonable.

The split tensile strength of the cylinder is seen to be increasing till the 2%
replacement of the fine aggregate with PET bottle fibres and then decreases
slightly with increase in the replacement of the fine aggregate as shown in figure
17. Therefore, the replacement of the fine aggregate with 2% replacement is found
to be reasonable with high split tensile strength compared to the other
percentages.

The flexural strength of the specimens with replacement of the fine aggregate with
the PET bottle fibres increases gradually with the increase in the replacement
percentage but it may fall for more replacement percentage as it is somewhat
same for the 4% and 6% as shown in figure 18. Therefore, the replacement of the
fine aggregate with 2% of PET bottle fibres will be reasonable than other
percentages
















CHAPTER 6
CONCLUSIONS

Based on experimental results, the following conclusions are drawn:

1. The concrete with PET fibres reduced the weight of concreteand thus if
mortar with plastic fibres can be made into light weight concrete based on
unit weight.

2. It was observed that the compressive strength increased up to 2%
replacement of the fine aggregate with PET bottle fibres and it gradually
decreased for 4% and 6% replacements. Hence replacement of fine
aggregate with 2% replacement will be reasonable .

3. It was observed that the split tensile strength increased up to 2%
replacement of the fine aggregate with PET bottle fibres and it gradually
decreased for 4% and 6% replacements. Hence, the replacement of the
fine aggregate with 2% replacement will be reasonable with high split
tensile strength compared to the other specimens casted and tested .

4. It was observed that the flexural strength increased up to 2% replacement
of the fine aggregate with PET bottle fibres and it gradually decreased for
4% and remains the same for 6% replacements .

5. Hence, the replacement of the fine aggregate with 2% of PET bottle fibres
will be reasonable than other replacement percentages like 4% and 6% as
the compression and split tensile strength reduces gradually.








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