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Reinforcing concrete with recycled plastic wastes

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International Conference on Applied Sciences (ICAS 2021) IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2212 (2022) 012031 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/2212/1/012031

Reinforcing concrete with recycled plastic wastes

A M Baciu1, I Kiss2, E Desnica3 and J Sárosi4

1
University Politehnica Timișoara, Doctoral School, Hunedoara, Romania
2
University Politehnica Timișoara, Faculty of Engineering, Hunedoara, Romania
3
University of Novi Sad, Technical Faculty “Mihajlo Pupin”, Zrenjanin, Serbia
4
University of Szeged, Faculty of Engineering, Szeged, Hungary

E–mail: [email protected]

Abstract. Solid waste is one of the many factors that negatively affect the environment. The
plastic is an important type of solid waste with a strong environmental impact, all types of
plastic used in daily life becoming, sooner or later, waste. Therefore, increasing consumption
of various types of plastic products is one of the most important challenges in environmental
protection. From different perspectives, waste reuse is important because it helps to recycle in
the production process, reduces environmental pollution, and helps sustain and conserve non–
renewable natural resources. On another hand, many constructions require precise techniques
and technologies that can utilize a number of new materials. Also, the lightweight building
material industry is considered useful in promoting reused materials. In this context, the use of
simple concrete and
reinforced concrete is somewhat restricted by specific phenomena such as: cracking, fire
resistance, shrinkage, shock resistance, wear resistance, durability, etc. For this reason, an
improvement in the performance of the concrete can be obtained by adding in their mass of
reinforcements dispersed in the form of fibres from different materials. The dispersed
reinforced concrete results in the inclusion of a variable amount of discontinuous fibres in the
concrete mass. These fibres can be of different types and sizes and have different properties.
This type of reinforcements has become a major research subject in recent years. Therefore,
using plastic waste in the materials industry is an environmental solution to minimize the
proportion of landfills used in waste incineration. Reusing plastics as concrete additives could
also redirect old water and soda bottles, the bulk of which would otherwise end up in a landfill.
Research has focused on the impact of adding plastic material to fresh and hardened concrete.
This study aims to investigate the use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) wastes in concrete.

1. Introduction
Nowadays, thanks to the modern lifestyle, advances in industry and technology have led to a
significant increase in the quantity and types of waste [1–4]. The problem of year–on–year
accumulation of waste is a problem found all over the world. Waste is a major environmental problem
when thrown into landfills, quarries, rivers or oceans [1–7].
In recent decades, PETs have become the most toxic waste that pollutes the environment [1–4].
They are found everywhere, at the top of the mountain, in the forest, on the watercourses, in
recreational areas or in the outskirts of the neighbourhoods. It is a problem that many states are also
facing (Figure 1). According to most research studies [1–13], plastic containers are the highest
pollutant of European waters, accounting for 14% of all plastic waste in Europe’s rivers [1–4]. The
collection and recycling of this waste has become a priority of environmental policies. Plastic
packaging is usually also made of plastic packaging, which resumes its toxic circuit in nature. But
what about discarded, uncollected and

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unused? Plastic, mostly PET container, occupies about 12% of the volume of landfills, which is why
the incineration of waste has become increasingly attractive for energy recovery, but with negative
effects on the atmosphere due to the resulting combustion gases [1–4]. Selective plastic collection
discourages waste incineration, reducing the profitability of incineration and directly benefits air
quality. Finding new ways to recycle PET remains a challenge [1–25].

Figure 1. Terephthalate
polyethylene wastes
The recovery of waste is difficult because of its variety, as well as its unknown properties over
time. The construction materials industry is an area of interest for the use of waste, and researchers
have tried to produce new building materials that incorporate waste [1–25]. The new generation of
building materials is developing rapidly. For environmental reasons it is recommended to use waste
extensively, although some waste may be too risky to use [1–25].
This research aims to contribute to the depollution of the environment by designing a new
ecological and innovative concrete that incorporates as much recycled waste as possible from the PET
waste category [16–18]. Research aims to use waste stocks, for which the current recycling
possibilities are limited. Thus, PET waste can be processed in the first phase by sorting, grinding,
chopping technologies, after which it will be used as reinforcements in the new concrete.
Terephthalate polyethylene is a lightweight, corrosion–resistant and recyclable plastic. It can be turned
into synthetic fibres or foil. This category includes colourless or coloured PET vials for water, beer,
alcoholic beverages, juices, vegetable oil, and other plastic containers [16–18].

2. Methods & Materials

To continue to be competitive, concrete has improved a number of properties, resulting in new types
of concrete, such as: high–strength concrete, high–performance concrete, dispersed fibre concrete,
reactive powder concrete, polymeric concrete, heavy concrete, apparent concrete, etc. [4,16–18]
Concrete is made from natural aggregates, cement and water, compounds that make it a cheap and
easy material to produce anywhere. Typically, ordinary concrete contains about 12% cement, 8%
water and 80% aggregates (Figure 2, Table 1) [4,16–18]. The new concretes use different types of
additions in the composition (Figure 3). A wide range of materials, waste or other materials can be
introduced into regular concrete, which can either improve its properties or are used for consumption
because their storage affects the environment. These may include: rubber waste, expanded polystyrene
waste, steel slag waste, wood waste, and other waste [4,16–18].

Figure 2. Solid
factions of the
concrete recipe

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Table 1. The mixing concrete

MIXING CONCRETE Cement Sand Aggregate
General purpose concrete 1 2 3
Foundation concrete 1 2.5 3.5
Paving concrete 1 1.5 2.5

Figure 3.
Typically concrete
mixture
Some of the usual concretes have been studied through the incorporation into the composition of the
various materials, depending on the desired purpose. Thus, if a number of materials, in particular
waste, are intended to be consumed for environmental purposes, the concrete obtained can be used in a
narrower field, depending on the resulting physical and mechanical characteristics. If, however, the
aim is to improve the properties of concrete by using various additions, then concretes with an
extended area of use can be obtained. The use of concrete additions has developed not only from
economic and ecological requirements, but also because they improve the properties of concrete.
In studies carried out to date, the additions used to obtain different types of concrete fall into two
categories:
 various fillers (thermal ash, ultrafine silica, ashes)
 various fibres (glass fibres, metal fibres, cellulose fibres and wood chips, silica fibre, carbon fibres,
aramid fibres, polypropylene fibres, polyester fibres, polyethylene fibres)
In concrete with fillers, they play an important role because they fill the very fine gaps in the
matrix, thus creating a more homogeneous and compact structure [16–18]. Fibres are most often used
in cement concretes, both ordinary and high–performance, their role being to improve the properties of
concrete.

Figure 4. Typically
fibers used in fibre–
reinforced concretes

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The contribution of dispersed fibre reinforcement (Figure 5) to the improvement of the mechanical
properties of concretes depends on several factors, such as the shape, size and volume of the fibres.
Depending on the specifications of the project can be produced concretes with different types of fibres
in a wide range of strength classes.

Figure 5. Fibre–reinforced concrete

Macro polymer fibres are synthetic fibres successfully used to replace steel fibres, welded wire nets
and, in part, conventional reinforcement bars in a wide variety of applications. These fibres have been
developed with the aim of improving both bending, abrasion and impact resistance, as well as
decreasing the risk of cracks, reducing their opening and altering their colour. Following the
advancement of research and development in the field, it has been proven that macro polypropylene
fibres, although initially developed as an alternative to steel fibres in some applications bring benefits
in a wide range of applications. The size of the fibre shall be chosen according to the maximum size of
the aggregate and the type of fibre shall be determined according to the loads. Some types of fibres
also help to reduce cracking in plastic contraction, with a beneficial effect on the durability of the built
element.
If the use of steel fibres or macro synthetic fibres is intended to improve mechanical characteristics,
synthetic/polymeric micro fibres can significantly reduce shrinkage cracking. Main applications:
pedestrian paths, prefabricated tiles, borders, sidewalks etc. (Figure 6).

Figure 6.
Typically
applications of
the fibre–
reinforced
concretes

3. Results
In recent years, concrete researchers have investigated and successfully utilized low–volume fractions
of various types of synthetic fibres as a supplement to the traditional approach of reinforcing the
cement composites. Therefore, different types of synthetic fibres are often used in concrete. Our
previous results presented in [4,16–18] indicate promising possibilities of using recycled polyethylene
terephthalate (PET) polymer fibres in concrete products (Figure 7). At the same time, such
applications would contribute to solving the problem of waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
disposal.

Figure 7. Several reinforcing possibilities with recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

(strips, chips, mesh woven and rope strand) [16–18]

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The experimental results presented in [4,16–18] indicated that the dosage and form of the
reinforcements are the two most influential parameters in the concrete reinforcing process. For a given
volume fraction of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (12 grams), changing the fibre form (width,
length, thickness) we experimented several reinforcing possibilities, large presented in [4,16–18].
Also, decreasing the fibre profile or equivalently increasing the number of fibres in the concrete mix
significantly improves the compressive strength.
Using the long polyethylene terephthalate (PET) yarns, they are inserted into a special made–up
apparatus (Figure 8) for weaving them in special ropes which will be used as reinforcement in the
armed concrete samples. Thus, 18 polyethylene terephthalate (PET) yarns (6 through each clamping
element and all 18 attached to the opposite end) passed. The thickness is about 1 cm (Figure 8, Figure
9).

Figure 8. Typically
applications of the
fibre–reinforced
concretes

Figure 9. PET rope

strands
The concrete used in all samples (3 samples for 1 non–reinforced concrete and 3 samples for 1
reinforced concrete with recycled polyethylene terephthalate), was one and the same, with the same
characteristics (class C30/37). In this way, the influence of the reinforcements on the compression
characteristics was followed [4,16–18].

Figure 10. Preparing

and labelling the
unarmed concrete
samples

Figure 11. Labelling the reinforced

concrete samples of reinforced
concrete with recycled
polyethylene terephthalate

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Non–reinforced concrete (class C30/37) and reinforced concrete with reinforcements from recycled
polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste were made in laboratory conditions, on an exact recipe and in
accordance with the requirements (Figure 10, Figure 11).
After the 28 days necessary to achieve the maturation of all the specimens (all cast simultaneously
in formworks and matured under the same conditions) and weighing of the concrete samples it is
possible to proceed to the accomplishment of the laboratory loads [26–28]. The UTest–Autocon
testing equipment was used to determine the compression load. All the experimental values are
presented in Figure 12 and Figure 13.

Concrete samples (etalon) Reinforced concrete with PET rope strands

41 40.8
40.7
40.55
40.5 40.4 40.4
40.3
40
40

39.5 39.4
Compression

39

38.5
Sample no.1 Sample no.2 Sample no.3 Average value

Figure 12. Results on compression strength

Concrete samples (etalon) Reinforced concrete with PET rope strands

2400
2390 2389
2382 2383
2380 2379
2370 2373
2360 2364
Density of concrete,

2350 2360
2340
2330 2341
2320
2310

Sample no.1Sample no.2Sample no.3Average value

Figure 13. Results on density of concrete

4. Concluding remarks
Fibre–dispersed reinforced concrete cannot completely replace ordinary reinforced concrete. There
are, however, areas of use in which fibre–reinforced concrete can be used alternately or in addition to
the classic reinforced concrete, offering constructive and economic advantages. It has been found that
fibres, of whatever nature, improve the properties of simple concrete.
Concrete dispersed with fibres is defined as the material obtained by mixing cement, aggregates,
fibres, additives, mineral additions and water, in the predetermined proportions, whose properties
develop by hydrating and strengthening cement and the interaction between fibres and matrix.
Dispersed reinforced concrete results from the mass incorporation of concrete into a variable amount
of discontinuous fibres.

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The advantage of arming the concrete with PET fibres lies in their ability to disperse throughout the
mass of the mixture. The reinforcement is done by simply mixing the fibres in concrete. In this way
the fibre achieves a three–dimensional reinforcement unlike the traditional welded steel nets that
remain at half of the concrete mass. Thus, PET reinforcement fibres can be used together with the steel
nets or represent an alternative to them. It does not require changes in the concrete recipe or handling
mode.
Some of the advantages can be stated in this way:
 Increased construction durability due to improvement in concrete properties:
 better bending resistance (increase of more than 25%)
 higher impact resistance and compression
 better abrasion and wear resistance
 increased shear resistance
 reducing the appearance of contraction cracks
 increasing long–term sustainability..
 Ease of commissioning: can be put into operation by direct casting or by pumping, depending on
consistency and access to works
 Cost reduction by:
 establishing an optimal concrete recipe in terms of the quantity of fibre required/m 3 , which must be
customized for each work, based on a calculation of loads.
 the reduction of the need for further repair, such as that generated by the consequences of incorrect
positioning of the reinforcement net.
Most fibre–dispersed reinforced concrete applications are based on the principle of improving the
properties and mechanical (resistance) characteristics of the material. However, the role of fibre
reinforcement of simple or classically reinforced concretes should be reduced not only to this principle
of improving the resistances, but especially to controlling the cracking process and thereby to
improving the resistance, energy absorption properties and impact resistance, shock, temperature
variations, temperature gradient, fire resistance.
The basic requirements of the fibres, when it is necessary to improve mechanical resistance and
delay the cracking process, are: high elongation resistance and appropriate elasticity mode, increased
matrix adhesion, chemical stability; furthermore, the fibres should have the quality to bear the efforts
for a longer period of time. The properties of the fibres used to disperse concrete are now, for the most
part, known. And fibres obtained from PET waste can be a solution.

Acknowledgment
This study was carried out using laboratory installations designed and carried out within the Department of
Engineering and Management of the Faculty of Engineering Hunedoara, University Politehnica Timisoara,
within a doctoral program [2,4,16–18].

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