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Recycled Glass Concrete

Article  in  Concrete International · January 2013

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Recycled Glass
Concrete
Milled waste glass used in mixtures for flatwork construction on the campus
of Michigan State University

by Amirpasha Peyvandi, Parviz Soroushian, and Roz-Ud-Din Nassar

I
n the United States alone, about 9.4 million tons (8.5 million
tonnes) of mixed-color glass container waste (Fig. 1(a))
are generated annually, but only about a third of this
waste stream is recycled.1 Laboratory studies and field trials
have verified the viability of waste glass powder (Fig. 1(b))
as a supplementary cementitious material2 so, therefore,
mixed-color glass waste presents a significant opportunity
for the concrete industry.
Since 2008, Michigan State University (MSU) in East
Lansing, MI, has been conducting evaluations of concrete
mixtures incorporating mixed-color waste glass. In September
2012, all of the concrete used for flatwork projects on the MSU
campus was produced using waste glass as a major component.
at 3.0 oz/yd3 [117 mL/m3]); and ASTM C260 air-entraining
admixture (MB Micro Air at 1.0 oz/yd3 [39 mL/m3]). The
mixture has an air content of 6.5%, a slump of 4 in. (102 mm),
and a unit weight (density) of 142.6 lb/ft3 (2284 kg/m3).
This mixture, modified with 20% cement replacement
with milled mixed-color waste glass, has been used on a
trial basis for construction of walkways, driveways, and
curbs (Fig. 3) on the MSU campus since 2008.2,4,5 Visual
field inspections and tests performed on core specimens

Laboratory Studies
Laboratory studies conducted at MSU and other
institutions have indicated that, when milled to about the
particle size of cement (15 µm), mixed-color waste glass can
react with cement hydrates and is therefore a pozzolan.2,3
When used as a cement replacement (at a dosage of about
20% by weight of cement), waste glass powder results in a
lower initial rate of hydration and strength development, yet
(a)
it improves long-term strength and reduces permeability.
And, although the sodium oxide content of mixed-color
waste glass is relatively high, its high reactivity allows it to
help mitigate the potential for alkali-silica reactions.3 Figure 2
provides an example of tests conducted per ASTM C1260,2
showing that a mixture comprising portland cement and
milled glass has significantly lower expansion than a control
mixture with portland cement alone.

Field Investigations
For construction projects at MSU, a typical concrete
mixture used in flatwork construction comprises Type I
portland cement (564 lb/yd3 [335 kg/m3]); ASTM C33 2NS
(b)
sand (1287 lb/yd3 [764 kg/m3]); ASTM C33 6AA limestone
(1772 lb/yd3 [1051 kg/m3]); water (256 lb/yd3 [152 kg/m3]); Fig. 1: Mixed-color waste glass: (a) as stored at the recycling
ASTM C494/C494M water-reducing admixture (MB 200N center; and (b) after milling

Concrete international january 2013 29


Fig. 2: Example test results for concrete mixtures incorporating
reactive aggregates. Partial replacement of cement with milled
mixed-color waste glass results in lowered expansion values,
indicating a reduction of deleterious alkali-silica reactions2
(a)
(b)
Fig. 3: Examples of recycled glass concrete projects on the MSU
campus: (a) walkway; and (b) curb
30 january 2013 Concrete international
have indicated satisfactory performance of recycled glass
concrete in these applications after up to 4 years of
exposure to traffic loads and weather.
Test Results
Except for September 2012, when exclusively recycled
glass concrete was used for all flatwork and curb
construction on the MSU campus, control (normal)
concrete was placed parallel with recycled glass concrete in
the 2008 to 2012 time period. Occasionally, samples were
taken from both mixtures to evaluate compressive and
flexural strength (per ASTM C39 and ASTM C78,
respectively). Typical test results (Fig. 4) show that recycled
glass concrete has a slower initial rate of strength
development than normal concrete, but it reaches higher
long-term strength levels. Figure 5 presents typical
compressive strength test data obtained from recycled glass
concrete cores extracted in the field at different ages. The
concrete shows a significant strength gain over time.
During field placements, samples of recycled glass and
normal concrete were also taken to evaluate drying
shrinkage (per ASTM C157), water absorption (per ASTM
C1585) at 28 days, and abrasion resistance (per ASTM
C944) after 28 days of moist curing. The drying shrinkage
test results (Fig. 6(a)) showed that the recycled glass
concrete exhibited lower drying shrinkage than normal
(a)
(b)
Fig. 4: Strength (mean and standard error) as a function of time
for moist-cured molded specimens produced using normal
concrete and recycled glass concrete: (a) compressive
strength; and (b) flexural strength (Note: 100 psi = 0.7 MPa)
concrete; this effect was found to be statistically significant
(0.05 significance level). The reduced drying shrinkage of
recycled glass concrete could be attributed to its reduced
permeability relative to normal concrete, which is apparent in
the moisture absorption rate test results presented in Fig. 6(b).
The abrasion resistance of recycled glass concrete was also
found to be better than that of normal concrete (Fig. 6(c)).
Other Observations
The workability of freshly mixed concrete used in
flatwork and curb construction on the MSU campus
benefitted from partial (20% by weight) replacement of
cement with milled waste glass. This could be attributed to
the relatively low absorption rate of milled waste glass
when compared with cement particles. The air content of
concrete required for resistance to freezing and thawing
was not disturbed with the addition of milled waste glass.
The water absorption capacity of concrete core
specimens obtained from field projects at an age of 1 to
4 years was reduced by an average of 15% upon partial
replacement of cement with milled waste glass. This
reduced water absorption could translate into improved
durability characteristics of recycled glass concrete in
comparison to normal concrete.
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performance in the field.
Fig. 5: Compressive strength (mean and standard error) as a
function of time for recycled glass concrete cores extracted
from field placements (Note: 100 psi = 0.7 MPa)
Fully Applied
After laboratory and field trials verified satisfactory
performance, recycled glass concrete was used on a routine
basis for construction of all exterior concrete flatwork and
curbs placed on the MSU campus throughout the month of
September 2012. For this purpose, mixed-color waste glass was
collected from campus recycling bins in July and shipped to a
milling facility. Twenty tons (18.1 tonnes) of milled mixed-
color waste glass were delivered to a concrete plant near the
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Concrete international january 2013 31

(a)
(b)
(c)
Fig. 6: Test results for normal and recycled glass concrete: (a) drying
shrinkage; (b) water absorption at 28 days; and (c) abrasion
resistance at 28 days (Note: 1 mm = 0.04 in., 1 g = 0.04 oz.)
campus in August 2012. Nearly 600 tons (544 tonnes) of
recycled glass concrete was placed on the MSU campus during
September. The results show that if the university continues to
use waste glass as a cement replacement, a significant amount of
material can be diverted from landfills.
Acknowledgments
The authors are thankful to the MSU Physical Plant, MSU Office of
Sustainability, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for their
financial support of the project. The continued guidance and support
provided by R. Ellerhorst and A. Lawver have been vital to successful
implementation of the laboratory and field studies reported herein.
References
1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Municipal Solid Waste
32 january 2013 Concrete international
Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Facts and
Figures for 2010,” Washington, DC, Dec. 2011, 12 pp.
2. Nassar, R.U.D., “Synergistic Use of Milled Waste Glass and Re-
cycled Aggregate towards a Sustainable Concrete-Based Infrastructure,”
PhD thesis, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 2010.
3. Hou, X.; Struble, L.J.; and Kirkpatrick, R.J., “Formation of ASR
Gel and the Roles of C-S-H and Portlandite,” Cement and Concrete
Research, V. 34, No. 9, Sept. 2004, pp. 1683-1696.
4. Nassar, R., and Soroushian, P., “Strength and Durability of Recycled
Aggregate Concrete Containing Milled Glass as Partial Replacement for
Cement,” Construction and Building Materials, V. 29, Apr. 2012, pp. 368-377.
5. Nassar, R., and Soroushian, P., “Field Investigation of Concrete
Incorporating Milled Waste Glass,” The Journal of Solid Waste Technology
and Management, V. 37, No. 4, Nov. 2011, pp. 307-319.
Note: Additional information on the ASTM standards discussed in
this article can be found at www.astm.org.
Selected for reader interest by the editors.
Amirpasha Peyvandi received his
BS and MS in civil and structural
engineering from the University of
Tehran, Iran. He is currently working
toward a PhD in civil and
environmental engineering at
Michigan State University. His research
interests include application of
nanotechnology in cementitious
material and development of environmentally friendly
and energy-efficient construction materials and systems.
He also has 4 years of experience in the design of bridge
infrastructures.
Parviz Soroushian, FACI, FASCE,
received his PhD from Cornell
University. He is currently a Professor of
civil and environmental engineering
at Michigan State University. His
research focuses on advanced
structural, protective, and functional
materials. His research interests include
materials science and engineering,
and sustainable construction materials and systems. His
background also includes research and development of
technologies concerning structural applications of
nanocomposites, reinforcing fibers for composites, and
smart materials and structural systems.
Roz-Ud-Din Nassar received his PhD in civil engineering
from Michigan State University. He is currently working
as an Associate Professor of civil engineering at the
University of South Asia, Lahore, Pakistan. His research
focuses on environmentally friendly and energy-efficient
construction materials.
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