Proof of concept: Green Grass in Novel Waste Plastics Concrete to Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change

Abstract

The growth in population and development in industry has led to enhanced construction technologies. As a result, the need for more buildings arises which is followed by more energy consumption and more waste. Concrete is one of the most used materials in construction. However, the production of Portland cement consumes a lot of energy and produces a large amount of carbon dioxide which is emitted into the atmosphere. This in turn impacts on the ozone layer and contributes enormously to climate change. Moreover, there are huge amounts of waste, especially plastic waste, which are produced and delivered to landfill which also impacts significantly on the environment. The utilisation of waste plastic in concrete would help to mitigate the problem of waste by developing a wide range of environmental-friendly special concretes which will ensure both environmental protection and the achievement of appropriate technology. This paper looks at an innovative way of utilising waste plastics for the manufacture of unique concrete types for use in the built environment. The paper is proof of concept, being mainly to show-case one example of the many possibilities of formulating concrete for a wide range of low to medium strength applications. The paper pursues a unique example of composite concrete made from both waste plastics and bio-waste. The preliminary research combines waste plastics and wood waste – saw dust. The aim was to produce a special concrete with special character such as concrete with grass growth, for aesthetical concrete and/or for applications in sports fields or playgrounds. The concrete was made with 100% waste plastics aggregates, with saw-dust waste incorporated to support the growth of grass.

Keywords

• Plastics
• waste
• climate
• concrete
• environment

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