International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 4, Special Issue 4, June 2014) International Conference on Advances in Civil Engineering and Chemistry of Innovative Materials (ACECIM’14) Organized by Department of Civil Engineering, SRM University, Ramapuram Campus, Chennai, INDIA. Page 23 Compressive Strength of Concrete Incorporated with E-fiber Waste P. Gomathi Nagajothi 1 , Dr. T. Felixkala 2 1 Research Scholar, Dept of Civil Engg., St. Peter’s University, Chennai, India 2 Professor and Head, Dept of Civil Engg., Dr. MGR Educational and Research Institute, University, Chennai, India gomathinagajothi@yahoo.co.in kalastrut@yahoo.co.in Abstract-- Rapid growth of technology, up gradation of technical innovations and a high rate of obsolescence in the electronics industry have led to one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world, simply called as E-waste. Improper disposal of E-waste can cause serious threats to human health and environment. This paper examines the possibility of reusing the non metallic portions of E-waste in concrete to increase its mechanical properties compressive strength test result shows concrete containing E-fiber exhibits a good strength gain than the control mix concrete. Keywords-- E-fiber waste, PCBs, environmental issues, concrete and compressive strength I. INTRODUCTION New electrical and electronic products have become an integral part of our daily lives providing us with more comfort, security, easy and faster acquisition. Due to technological growth, there is a high rate of obsolescence in the electronic equipments which leads to one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world. This waste stream consists of end of life electrical and electronic equipment products. The European Union (EU) defines this new waste stream as „Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment‟ (WEEE). Since there is no definition of the WEEE in the environmental regulations in India, it is simply called „E-waste‟. According to Gui et al (2003),”WEEE is diverse and complex in terms of materials and components as well as the manufacturing process. Characterization of this waste stream is of paramount importance for developing a cost effective and environmental friendly recycling system”. Kang et al (2005), discussed the various possibilities of recycling the plastic such as coke oven process, thermal recycling, mechanical recycling etc. They concluded that the major challenge for the plastic waste recycling is the need for a continuous and stable supply of materials to be recycled and lack of cost effective technologies for recycling. Lakshmi and Nagan(2011) suggested the use of E-Plastic particles as partial replacement of coarse aggregates in M20 concrete with and without fly ash. The results revealed that 20% replacement of e-waste as coarse aggregate in concrete shows improvement in compressive and tensile strength. Atul (2012) suggested the use of plastic (polyethylene) bags in concrete to improve its mechanical properties. He found experimentally that up to 0.8% addition of polyethylene pieces to concrete shows improvement in tensile strength. Taha et al(2009) and park et al.(2004) carried out works to examine the possibility of reusing waste recycled glass in concrete and construction applications, as an alternative solution to the growing quantity of waste recycled glass as well as to meet the demand of natural aggregates. Tung- chai Ling and chi-sun Poon suggested the feasibility of using treated CRT glass as 100% substitution of fine aggregate in making heavy weight concrete, and untreated glass should be limited to below 25% due to its potential lead leaching. Huang et al (2006) assessed the feasibility of utilizing resin powder and glass fibers recycled from PCB waste as a partial replacement of fine aggregates in cement mortar. They suggested PCB resin powder replacement to less than 10% and addition level of glass fiber to less than 2% to achieve the needed strength. Numerous researches are being conducted to find the use of e-waste in concrete not only to improve its properties but also to find solution for a safer and economical e-waste disposal method.