Influence of the Waste Glass Uses on the Cement Mortar Properties

Abstract

Abstract In this paper the influence of waste glass on the properties of cement mortar was described. The coloured waste glass in two different forms was used: the glass cullet with a particle size of 0.125-4.00 mm as a fine aggregate and the glass powder with a particle size below 0.125 mm as cement replacement. Both types of glass were obtained by crushing and milling brown glass bottles. The tests were carried out on mortars in which sand was entirely replaced by glass cullet or 20% of cement was replaced by glass powder. The effect of glass cullet and glass powder on the properties of cement mortar, such as setting time, consistency, flexural and compressive strength was determined. Moreover, the role of glass cullet as a potential source of expansion resulted from the alkali-silica reaction was investigated. The microstructure of hydrated composites was also examined with a scanning electron microscope.