Conversion of plastic wastes into value-added lightweight construction materials

• Main Author: Cao, Nam Hai
• Other Authors: Chu Jian
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Environmental engineering::Waste management
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/15895
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

With the scarcity of natural resources in Singapore and the high dumping cost of plastic waste, copper slag and marine clay, a good recycling method for those materials is required. This project focused on producing a value-added lightweight construction material, using marine clay, sand and plastic waste. A laboratory study of the engineering and mechanical properties of the geo-plastic material with different Polypropylene contents was conducted. The study focused on density, compressive strength, strain behavior and permeability of the soil. The results were compared with treatment made by other methods such as the use of cement. It is found that the geo-plastic material is as strong as lightweight and low grade concrete. It is also lighter than cement treated materials. It gains full strength almost instantly as compared to a few weeks of curing time required for cement-based materials. Moreover, it is also more cost-effective to be produced. Therefore, the geo-plastic material can become a promising new-material to be used for civil engineering projects. Keyword: Polypropylene; Marine Clay; Copper slag; Sand; Compressive strength; Density;