Compressive strength analysis of concrete with waste ceramic tiles as substitute to aggregates

• Main Authors: Cheng, Sherwin N., Lizardo, Levin G., Ong, Jay Laurence M., Rieta, Angela O.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2016
• Subjects: Aggregates (Building materials); Concrete > Testing; Tiles > Recycling; Strength of materials
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/6212
• Institution: De La Salle University

Over the last several decades, recycling and sustainability has been significantly recognized and understood in both the construction industry and academia. Effective waste management together with finding alternative materials has been a challenge faced by modern society. To address the demand for natural aggregates and growing issue of solid construction waste in the country, the use of waste ceramic tiles as an alternative for coarse and fine aggregates in concrete was utilized. In the present study, 25%, 50% and 75% of natural coarse and fine aggregates as well as various combinations of both coarse and fine aggregates in concrete were replaced with recycled ceramic tiles to investigate the compressive strength of concrete. The compressive strength results were compared to that of conventional specimens and verified whether the new concrete would attain the target strength of concrete usually required for low rise structures. Furthermore, the research evaluated as well the optimum ceramic tile percentage replacement through the use of response surface method (RSM) and validated the hypothesis using statistical analysis. Results showed that the 25% fine and coarse substitution mix was the only double substitution mix that resembled the strength of conventional concrete. On the other hand, all single replacement mixes achieved greater compressive strength than that of the conventional. The strength increase was mostly due to the intrinsic and physical properties of waste ceramic tiles. The waste ceramic material was also found to contain chemical elements that are found in pozzolanic materials. All mixes, except the 25% fine replacement mix, were found to improve the economy of concrete. Thus, utilizing waste ceramic tiles as substitute to the growing demand of natural aggregates is feasible. The possibility of substituting natural aggregates with recycled ceramic material offers economic, technical and environmental advantages which, in the present context of sustainability, are of great importance in the construction sector.