STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF WASTE PLASTIC INTERLOCKING BRICKS

Abstract

The climate crisis is brewing up worldwide and there is an urgent need to develop and adopt products with low carbon footprint. Although the drivers of pollution are numerous, the lack of solid waste management is a key contributor. To tackle this menace of increasing solid waste in the environment three R’s of waste management are proposed which includes reduce, recycle, and reuse. In this research, an attempt has been made to reuse solid waste from different sources to fabricate a brick that conforms to the standards laid by international and local building codes. Plastic waste comprising of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) were utilized along with waste foundry sand from steel industry. Waste plastic brick with different dosages of PET, HDPE, and LDPE as well as waste foundry sand were manufactured. Its properties were later investigated and compared with control clay fired brick samples. Test results revealed that waste plastic brick formulation 50:50 i.e. (waste plastic: foundry sand) exhibited the optimal mechanical performance. Its compressive strength was 8.23 MPa which was comparable to second class clay fired brick. Its splitting tensile strength was 1.35 times and flexural strength was twice compared to second class clay fired brick. From durability perspective, waste plastic brick does not show any sign of efflorescence and has water absorption ten times less than conventional clay fired bricks. Waste plastic brick is a better thermal and electrical insulator than second class clay fired brick and also possesses adequate bond strength with mortar. From the test results it is evident that waste plastic brick formulation 50:50 has adequate structural performance and can serve as replacement of conventional clay fired bricks in masonry structures. Utilizing waste plastic brick in masonry structures would be a giant leap forward towards a sustainable construction sector while addressing environmental concerns simultaneously.