Physical and mechanical properties of self-compacting geopolymer concrete with waste glass as partial replacement of fine aggregate

A significant amount of waste glass is generated every year. Waste glass particles as replacement of fine or coarse aggregates in concrete is recently attracting attention in the construction industry. While several studies reported how the physical and mechanical properties of concrete are affected due to the use of waste glass particles in concrete, studies related to geopolymer concrete containing waste glass particles are limited. This present study investigates the effect of the gradation of waste glass particles in geopolymer concrete. Waste glass particles are used as fine aggregate, and two different gradations are considered – well graded fines and coarse graded fines. In order to determine the optimum amount of sand replacement, three different percentages (10 %, 30 %, 50 % of total fine aggregate) of well-graded and coarse graded fine waste glass particles are considered. In addition, for limited mixes, chopped basalt fibre was incorporated in the mix. The proposed mix design is for self-compacting geopolymer concrete, and therefore, the workability properties of the developed mix are reported in terms of slump flow, T-500 and J-ring test. The effect of gradation and content of waste glass particles are evaluated in terms of compressive strength (28- and 56-days), modulus of elasticity, and split tensile strength. Microscopic analysis is performed to observe the distribution of waste glass particles and potential reasons for various failure modes.