Experimental study on enhancement of compressive strength of concrete by polyethylene terephthalate flakes with fine aggregate and addition of silica flume to the volume of concrete

Abstract

Aim: The study compares the compressive strength of conventional concrete to a novel type of concrete that includes 10% flakes made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and 20% silica fume as a percentage of the total volume of the concrete.Materials and Methods:The materials used in this investigation were cement, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate, water, flakes made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and silica fume. The study tested the properties of two types of concrete, one with a conventional mix and another one is a novel concrete with 10% PET flakes and 20% silica fume. PET flakes were utilised as the fine aggregate, and samples were cured in a storage tank for 28 days prior to testing to verify the concrete had attained its full strength. Using statistical models with G-power 0.8 software and a 95% confidence interval, the compressive strength of Novel concrete (N=10) was compared to conventional concrete (N=10).Results:The findings of this study indicated that after 28 days of curing, the innovative concrete mixture including 10% polyethylene terephthalate (PET) flakes and 20% silica fume had a compressive strength of 25 MPa. This is compared to the 37 MPa compressive strength of standard concrete after the same curing period.Conclusion:This study concluded that adding 10% polyethylene terephthalate flakes and 20% silica fume to the concrete volume can greatly enhance the concrete's compressive strength without disturbing its workability.