Waste Glass Powder as Partial
Replacement of FA for Sustainable Paver
Blocks
Hashim Yousuf and C. S. Bindu
1 Introduction
The concrete industry has steadily developed in the last 50 years, and right now the
current challenge is to make concrete in the most sustainable manner while using
resources optimally. This problem has come to the fore as many studies have pointed
out that extensive dredging of river beds has led to severe ecosystem damages and
serious long-term environmental impacts [1, 2].
This has led to a shortage of sand for construction recently [3, 4]. Compounding
the problem is the fact that the rate of consumption is also expected to double [5].
Researchers have been searching for suitable alternatives that could be used, and
glass wastes have shown promise. Their main advantages include their inertness like
sand and our ability to adjust its fineness properties.
Even though it shows promise, it is also a challenge as they are not easily available
at all places. If we were to transport the waste glass powder to the required sites, it
could offset the environmental gains we have strived for. In addition, quality control
would become an issue when using a new material at a site directly. A solution to
this would be to use it to create a product that meets the required criteria in strength
and durability and then to use this product in construction.
Early studies into the effects of using glass powder in concrete primarily focussed
on coarse aggregate replacement. However, the results from these experiments indi-
cated that the presence of these larger glass particles caused excessive expansion
and cracking in the concrete specimens. This resulted in compromised compressive
strength. These effects on the specimens could be attributed to the strong reaction
H. Yousuf (B ) · C. S. Bindu
Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, Cochin University of Science and
Technology, Cochin, Kerala, India
e-mail: hashim_zz@hotmail.com
C. S. Bindu
e-mail: binduromeo@cusat.ac.in
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
S. Biswas et al. (eds.), Advances in Sustainable Construction Materials, Lecture Notes in
Civil Engineering 124, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4590-4_4
29