Cornstarch (Amylum) as Additives in

Concrete Masonary Unit (CMU)

BIO-PLASTIC CMU

Blighver Enchekui
Almer Chris Tuayon
Gwyneth Kyla Fortich
STUDENT RESEARCHER

Jane Aubrey De Paz

RESEARCH II TEACHER

Chapter I
Introduction
A. Background of the Study
As time passes by, Concrete blocks are primarily used by citizens in building
materials in constructing of walls. It was usually made of sand and fine gravel. When
its wet, it easily breaks while when it is very dry, it will easily get crushed due to its
powdery composition.
Sometimes, concrete blocks have its own weaknesses and competition, like:
Efflorescence; can occur in natural and built environments. On porous construction
materials it may present a cosmetic outer problem only (primary efflorescence
causing staining), but can sometimes indicate internal structural weakness
(migration/degradation of component materials), and Rising damp;is the presence of
unwanted moisture in the structure of a building, either the result of intrusion from
outside or condensation from within the structure. A high proportion of damp
problems in buildings are caused by condensation, rain penetration or rising damp.
The Philippines has a total number of 103,658,235 individuals PHILIPPINES
POPULATIONS CLOCK (11-05-15) (18:50:42) total number of 103 890 379 houses
built out of concrete blocks NSCB-as of 2010. The more houses built the more
blocks consumed.
Cornstarch has a potential to harden or thicken liquid because it is a fine,
powdery starch usually made out of endosperm of corn. It is basically used to
thickening ingredient to make a sticky mixture when mixed with water. When it is
mixed with vinegar and glycerin(which is one of the material to harden in making bioplastics), becomes very sticky until it dries so hard.
Researchers want to use the cornstarch (Amylum) mixed with a vinegar
(Acetic acid) and glycerin as additives to concrete blocks and to create an improved,
safe, durable, and eco-friendly material so that if cornstarch is an effective material in
making BIO-PLASTIC CMU.

B. Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine:
1. If the cornstarch an effective material in making BIO-PLASTIC CMU in terms of:
a. Durability?
b. Comprehensive strength?
c. Fire resistant?
d. Water resistant?
2. Which of the following treatments is effective as additives in BIO-PLASTIC CMU?
a.100% pure cornstarch
b.75% pure cornstarch
c.50% pure cornstarch
3. Does BIO-PLAS CMU is durable to use in building materials in constructing walls
in terms of:
a. Number of cracks?
b. Efflorescence?
c. Stains?
d. Rising damp?

C. Hypothesis
If BIO-PLASTIC CMU is durable enough for building materials in constructing
wall, then cornstarch is effective materials to use as additives for BIO-PLASTIC CMU

D. Objectives
This study aims to:
Know if cornstarch is effective material as additives in BIO-PLASTIC CMU.
Determine the following treatments is/are effective as additives in BIO-PLASTIC
CMU. Know if BIO-PLASTIC CMU is durable for building material in constructing

walls. Reduce the number of damage concrete blocks due to climate change. Create
new improve, safe and eco-friendly blocks that will not harm the community but also
the entire environment.

E. Significance of the study

This primarilybeneficiaries of thisstudy are the citizen of the nation specially
to plan a new house or constructing walls. This study can help the community in
reducing the production of bio-plastic waste in factories and decreasing the
unused/damage blocks and these 2 problems would give knowledge on other
alternative ways to make their own CMU to make BIO-PLASTIC CMU Blocks using
cornstarch.
The use of BIO-PLASTIC CMU would led to a decrease in the cases of
blocks breaking easily and creating harmful dust.

F. Scope and delimitation of the study

The materials were bought at Zamboanga city and the experiment was
conducted at St. Michael Valley, Lower Cabatangan, Zamboanga city.
This study focuses in making BIO-PLASTIC CMU out of BIO-PLASTICS
using cornstarch.

G. Definition of terms
AMYLUM refers to a chemichal name of cornstarch when mixed with water.
BEAKER refers to a cylindrical container; used to measure liquids volume.
BIO-PLASTIC refers to plastics derived from renewable biomass sources, such
as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, or microbiota.
BIO-PLASTIC CMU refers to the CMU product that is mixed with BIOPLASTICS as addives to the concrete material; sand and gravel.
CMU refers to a large rectangular block used in building construction material.
Cornstarch refers to a fine, powdery, starch that is made out of corn used as
one of the materials in making bio-plastics.

Efflorescence refers to the migration of a salt to the surface of a porous

material, where it forms a coating and also refers to a crystaline deposit on
surfaces of masonry, stucco or concrete. It is whitish in appearance, and is
sometimes referred to as "whiskers".
Fire Resistant refers to potential of an object to resist fire, concrete performs
well both as an engineered structure, and as a material in its own right.
Glycerin refers to a clear, transparent liquid, commonly used in pharmaticulates,
used as one of the materials in making bio-plastics.
Gravel refers to a composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a
general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to bouldersized fragments.
Pan refers to apparatuses that holds the mixture while mixing and heating.
Rising damp refers tois the presence of unwanted moisture in the structure of a
building, either the result of intrusion from outside or condensation from within
the structure.
Sand refers to a principal component of this critical construction material.
Spatula refers to a small implement apparatus with a broad, flat, flexible blade
used to mix, spread and lift materials.
Stove refers to a apparatus that controls heat while heating.
Vinegar refers to a practical alternative Ammonium acetate because it forms
ammonium ions and acetate ions in solution that you can use when making your
own bioplastic. Vinegar contains acetic acid which forms hydrogen ions and
acetate ions, and (importantly) it is readily available.
Water refers to used as a solvent to get the biopolymer (starch) into solution.
Water resistant refers to a concretes that is impermeable to water and other
fluids either above or below ground.

Chapter II
Review of Related Literature
BIOPLASTIC TYPE
Starch-based plastics
Thermoplastic starch currently represents the most widely used bio plastic,
constituting about 50 percent of the bio plastics market. Simple starch bio plastic can
be made at home. Pure starch is able to absorb humidity, and is thus a suitable
material for the production of drug capsules by the pharmaceutical sector. Flexibiliser
and plasticiser such as sorbitol and glycerin can also be added so the starch can
also be processed thermo-plastically. The characteristics of the resulting bio plastic
(also called "thermo-plastical starch") can be tailored to specific needs by adjusting
the amounts of these additives.
Starch-based bio plastics are often blended with biodegradable polyesters to
produce

starch/polycaprolactone or

starch/Ecoflexpolybutyleneadipate-co-

terephthalate produced by BASF). blends. These blends are used for industrial
applications and are also compostable. Other producers, such as Roquette, have
developed other starch/polyolefin blends. These blends are not biodegradable, but
have a lower carbon footprint than petroleum-based plastics used for the same
applications.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic

CORN STARCH
Use
Corn

starch

is

used

as

a thickening

agent in

liquid-based

foods

(e.g., soup, sauces, gravies, custard), usually by mixing it with a lower-temperature

liquid to form a paste or slurry. It is sometimes preferred over flour alone because it
forms a translucent mixture, rather than an opaque one. As the starch is heated, the
molecular chains unravel, allowing them to collide with other starch chains to form a
mesh, thickening the liquid (Starch gelatinization).

It

is

usually

or confectioner's

included

as

sugar). Baby

an anti-caking
powder often

agent in
includes

powdered sugar (10X

cornstarch

among

its

ingredients.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_starch

GLYCEROL
Glycerol /lsrl/ (also called glycerine or glycerin; see spelling differences) is a
simple polyol (sugar alcohol) compound. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that
is widely used in pharmaceutical formulations. Glycerol has three hydroxyl
groups that are responsible for its solubility in water and its hygroscopic nature. The
glycerol backbone is central to all lipids known as triglycerides. Glycerol is sweettasting and is non-toxic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycerol

Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU)

A concrete masonry unit (CMU) also called concrete brick, concrete
block,cement block, besser block, breeze block and cinder block is a large
rectangular block used in building construction.

Composition
Concrete

blocks

are

made

from cast concrete,

e.g. Portland

cement and aggregate, usually sand and fine gravel for high-density blocks.
Lower density blocks may use industrial wastes as an aggregate. Lightweight
blocks can also be produced using aerated concrete.

Sizes and structure

Concrete blocks may be produced with hollow centers to reduce weight or
improve insulation. The use of block work allows structures to be built in the
traditional masonry style with layers (or courses) of staggered blocks. Blocks come

in many sizes. In the US, the most common nominal size is 16 in 8 in 8 in

(410 mm 200 mm 200 mm); the block measures a 3/8 in shorter, allowing for
mortar joints. In Ireland and the UK, blocks are usually 440 mm 215 mm 100 mm
(17.3 in 8.5 in 3.9 in) excluding mortar joints. In New Zealand and Canada,
blocks are usually 390 mm 190 mm 190 mm (15.4 in 7.5 in 7.5 in) excluding
mortar joints.
Block cores are typically tapered so that the top surface of the block (as laid) has a
greater surface on which to spread a mortar bed on also for handling. There may be
two, three or four cores, although two cores are the most common configuration. The
presence of a core allows steel reinforcing to be inserted into the assembly, greatly
increasing its strength. Reinforced cores are filled with grout (concrete) to secure the
reinforcing in proper relationship to the structure, and to bond the block and
reinforcing. The reinforcing is primarily used to impart greater tensile strength to the
assembly, improving its ability to resist lateral forces such as wind load and seismic
forces.
A variety of specialized shapes exist to allow special construction features. U-shaped
blocks or knockout blocks with notches to allow the construction of bond
beams or lintel assemblies, using horizontal reinforcing grouted into place in the
cavity. Blocks with a channel on the end, known as "jamb blocks", allow doors to be
secured to wall assemblies. Blocks with grooved ends permit the construction
of control joints, allowing a filler material to be anchored between the un-mortared
block ends. Other features, such as radiused corners known as "bullnoses" may be
incorporated. A wide variety of decorative profiles also exist.
Concrete masonry units may be formulated with special aggregates to produce
specific colors or textures for finish use. Special textures may be produced by
splitting a ribbed or solid two-block unit; such factory-produced units are called "splitrib" or "split-face" blocks. Blocks may be scored by grooves the width of a mortar
joint to simulate different block modules (e.g., an 8" x 16" block may be scored in the
middle to simulate 8" x 8" masonry), with the grooves filled with mortar and struck to
match the true joints.

Structural properties
Concrete masonry can be used as a structural element in addition to being used as
an architectural element. Ungrouted, partially grouted, and fully grouted walls are the
different types of walls allowed. Reinforcement bars can be used both vertically and
horizontally inside the CMU to strengthen the wall and results in better structural
performance. The cells in which the rebar is placed must be grouted for the bars to
bond to the wall. For this reason, high seismic zones typically only allow fully grouted
walls in their building codes. The American design code that guides design
engineers in using CMU as a structural system is the Masonry Standards Joint
Committee's

Building

Code

Requirements

&

Specification

for

Masonry

Structures (TMS 402/ACI 530/ASCE 5). The compressive strength of concrete

masonry units and masonry walls varies from approximately 1,000 psi (7 MPa) to
5,000 psi (34 MPa) based on the type of concrete used to manufacture the unit,
stacking orientation, the type of mortar used to build the wall, and other factors.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_masonry_unit

Efflorescence
In chemistry, efflorescence (which means "to flower out" in French) is the migration
of a salt to the surface of a porous material, where it forms a coating. The essential
process comprises the dissolving of an internally-held salt in water, or occasionally in
another solvent. The water, with the salt now held in solution, migrates to the
surface, then evaporates, leaving a coating of the salt.
In what has been described as "primary efflorescence," the water is the invader and
the salt was already present internally. Some people describe a reverse process,
where the salt is originally present externally and is then carried inside in solution, as

"secondary efflorescence." However, others would give this latter phenomenon

another name entirely.
Efflorescences can occur in natural and built environments. On porous construction
materials it may present a cosmetic outer problem only (primary efflorescence
causing staining), but can sometimes indicate internal structural weakness
(migration/degradation of component materials).

Masonry
Primary efflorescence
Primary efflorescence is named such, as it typically occurs during the initial cure of a
cementitious product. It often occurs on masonry construction, particularly brick, as
well as some firestop mortars, when water moving through a wall or other structure,
or water being driven out as a result of the heat of hydration as cement stone is
being formed, brings salts to the surface that are not commonly bound as part of the
cement stone. As the water evaporates, it leaves the salt behind, which forms a
white, fluffy deposit, that can normally be brushed off. The resulting white deposits
are referred to as "efflorescence" in this instance. In this context efflorescence is
sometimes referred to as "saltpetering." Since primary efflorescence brings out salts
that are not ordinarily part of the cement stone, it is not a structural, but, rather, an
aesthetic concern.

Secondary efflorescence
Secondary efflorescence is named such as it does not occur as a result of the
forming of the cement stone or its accompanying hydration products. Rather, it is
usually due to the external influence of concrete poisons, such as chlorides. A very
common example of where secondary efflorescence occurs is steel-reinforced
concrete bridges as well as parking garages. Saline solutions are formed due to the
presence of road salt in the winter. This saline solution is absorbed into the concrete,
where it can begin to dissolve cement stone, which is of primary structural

importance. Virtual stalactites can be formed in some cases as a result of dissolved

cement stone, hanging off cracks in concrete structures. Where this process has
taken hold, the structural integrity of a concrete element is at risk. This is a common
traffic infrastructure and building maintenance concern. Secondary efflorescence is
akin to osteoporosis of the concrete.

Protecting against efflorescence

The only way to completely and permanently prevent (both primary and secondary)
efflorescence in cementitious materials is by using special admixtures that
chemically react with and bind the salt-based impurities in the concrete
when hydrogen (H) is present. The chemical reaction in these special additives fuses
the sodium chloride on a nanomolecular level, converting it into non-sodium
chemicals and other harmless matter that will not leach out or migrate to the surface.
In fact, the nanotechnology in these additives can be up to 100,000 times smaller
than even the smallest cement particles, allowing their molecules to literally pass
through cement minerals or sand particles and ultimately become part of the cement
or sand with which they react. And since they require the presence of hydrogen they
stop reacting as the concrete dries out and begin reacting again when the concrete
is exposed to moisture.
It is also possible to protect porous building materials, such as brick, tiles, concrete
and paving against efflorescence by treating the material with an impregnating,
hydro-phobic sealer. This is a sealer that repels water and will penetrate deeply
enough into the material to keep water and dissolved salts well away from the
surface. However, in climates where freezing is a concern, such a sealer may lead to
damage from freeze/thaw cycles. And while it will help to protect against
efflorescence, it cannot permanently prevent the problem.
Efflorescence can often be removed from using phosphoric acid. After application the
acid dilution is neutralised with mild diluted detergent, and then well rinsed with
water. However, if the source of the water penetration is not addressed efflorescence
may reappear.

Common rebar protective measures include the use of epoxy coating as well as the
use of a slight electrical charge, both of which prevent rusting. One may also use
stainless steel rebar.
Certain cement types are more resistant to chlorides than others. The choice of
cement, therefore, can have a large effect upon the concrete's reaction to chlorides.
Today's water repellents help creates a vapor permeable barrier; liquid water,
especially from wind driven rains, will stay out of the brick and masonry. Water vapor
from the interior of the building or from the underside of pavers can escape. This will
reduce efflorescence, spalling and scaling that can occur from water being trapped
inside the brick substrate and freezing during cold weather. Years ago, the water
repellents trapped moisture in the masonry wall creating more problems than they
solved. Condensation in areas that experienced the four seasons were much more
problematic than their counterparts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efflorescence

Damp (structural)
Structural dampness is the presence of unwanted moisture in the structure of a
building, either the result of intrusion from outside or condensation from within the
structure.
A high proportion of damp problems in buildings are caused by condensation, rain
penetration or rising damp.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damp_(structural)

Number of Occupied Housing Units by

Construction Materials of the Outer Walls and Roof: 2000
Construction Materials of the Roof

Total

Half

Construction Materials of the

Number of

Galvanized

Tile/

Galvanized

Outer Walls

Occupied

Iron/

Concrete/

Iron/ Half-

Housing

Aluminum

Clay Tile

Concrete

Makeshift
Wood

Cogon/

Salvaged/

Asbestos/

Nipa/

Improv-

Others

Anahaw

Units
Total
Concrete/ brick/ stone
Wood
Half concrete/ brick/ stone and

ised
Materials

14,891,127
4,587,978
3,381,339
2,816,272

10,066,730
4,323,530
2,263,524
2,146,675

138,050
100,987
10,670
17,607

689,226
67,627
70,193
483,460

306,121
10,657
227,549
23,369

3,315,374
73,176
786,637
137,000

107,786
2,934
12,031
3,995

57,300
9,067
10,735
4,166

144,234
3,399,180
8,823
4,895
181,769

118,741
1,044,744
5,623
3,594
66,216

1,307
5
1,321
669
15

13,389
43,592
493
260
3,030

3,827
35,625
262
121
1,212

6,159
2,238,453
38,497

539
15,775
70,817

272
20,852
1,121
249
1,884

352,293
14,344

85,186
8,897

4,536
933

6,466
716

2,948
551

33,167
2,285

1,129
566

8,634
320

half wood
Galvanized iron/ aluminum
Bamboo/ sawali/ cogon/ nipa
Asbestos
Glass
Makeshift/ salvaged/ improvised
materials
Others/not reported
No walls

No

Repor

http://www.nscb.gov.ph/secstat/d_popn.asp

Philippines Population clock

As of: 05-11-2015 18:50:42

103 890 379 Current population

52 099 268 Current male population (50.1%)
51 791 111 Current female population (49.9%)
2 073 133 Births this year
5 272 Births today
410 700 Deaths this year
1 044 Deaths today
-105 538 Net migration this year
-268 Net migration today

210,

210,

1 556 895 Population growth this year

3 959 Population growth today

http://countrymeters.info/en/Philippines

Gravel

Gravel (largest fragment in this photo is about 4 cm)

A gravel road in Terre Haute, Indiana

Gravel being unloaded from a barge

Gravel /rvl/ is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a
general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized
fragments. Gravel is categorized by the Udden-Wentworth scale into granular gravel
(2 to 4 mm or 0.079 to 0.157 in) and pebble gravel (4 to 64 mm or 0.2 to 2.5 in). One
cubic yard of gravel typically weighs about 3000 pounds (or a cubic metre is about
1,800 kilograms).
Gravel is an important commercial product, with a number of applications.
Many roadways are surfaced with gravel, especially in rural areas where there is
little traffic. Globally, far more roads are surfaced with gravel than
with concrete or tarmac; Russia alone has over 400,000 km (250,000 mi) of gravel
roads. Both sand and small gravel are also important for the manufacture
of concrete.

Types

Gravel with stones sized roughly between 5 and 15 mm

Disused gravel pit in Lower Saxony, Germany

Multiple types of gravel have been recognized including:

Bank gravel: naturally deposited gravel intermixed with sand

or clay found in and next to rivers and streams. Also known as "Bank run"
or "River run".

Bench gravel: a bed of gravel located on the side of a valley above the
present stream bottom, indicating the former location of the stream bed
when it was at a higher level.

Creek rock: this is generally rounded, semi-polished stones, potentially

of a wide range of types, that are dredged or scooped from river beds and
creek beds. It is also often used as concrete aggregate and less often as a
paving surface.

Crushed stone: rock crushed and graded by screens and then mixed
to a blend of stones and fines. It is widely used as a surfacing for roads
and driveways, sometimes with tar applied over it. Crushed stone may be
made from granite, limestone,dolomite, and other rocks. Also known as
"crusher run", DGA (Dense Grade Aggregate) QP (Quarry Process), and
shoulder stone.[8]

Fine gravel: gravel consisting of particles with a diameter of 2 to 4 mm.

Lag gravel: a surface accumulation of coarse gravel produced by the

removal of finer particles.

Pay gravel: also known as "pay dirt"; a nickname for gravel with a high
concentration of gold and other precious metals. The metals are recovered
through gold panning.

Pea gravel: gravel that consists of small, rounded stones used in

concrete surfaces. Also used for walkways, driveways and as a substrate
in home aquariums.

Piedmont gravel: a coarse gravel carried down from high places by

mountain streams and deposited on relatively flat ground, where the water
runs more slowly.

Plateau gravel: a layer of gravel on a plateau or other region above the

height at which stream-terrace gravel is usually found.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/gravel

Sand

Sand dunes in the IdehanUbari, Libya.

Close-up (11 cm) of sand from theGobi Desert, Mongolia.

Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely
divided rock and mineral particles. It is defined by size, being finer thangravel and
coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class of soil or soil type; i.e. a soil
containing more than 85% sand-sized particles (by mass).
The composition of sand varies, depending on the local rock sources and conditions,
but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and nontropical coastal settings is silica (silicon dioxide, or SiO2), usually in the form
of quartz. The second most common type of sand is calcium carbonate, for
example aragonite, which has mostly been created, over the past half billion years,
by various forms of life, like coral and shellfish. It is, for example, the primary form of
sand apparent in areas where reefs have dominated the ecosystem for millions of
years like the Caribbean.

Uses

Sand sorting tower at a gravel pit.

Agriculture: Sandy soils are ideal for crops such as watermelons, peaches

and peanuts, and their excellent drainage characteristics make them

suitable for intensive dairy farming.

Aquaria: Sand makes a low cost aquarium base material which some

believe is better than gravel for home use. It is also a necessity for
saltwater reef tanks, which emulate environments composed largely
of aragonite sand broken down from coral and shellfish.

Artificial reefs: Geotextile bagged sand can serve as the foundation for new

reefs.

Artificial islands in the Persian Gulf for instance.

Beach nourishment: Governments move sand to beaches where tides,

storms or deliberate changes to the shoreline erode the original sand.[4]

Brick: Manufacturing plants add sand to a mixture of clay and other

materials for manufacturing bricks.

Cob: Coarse sand makes up as much as 75% of cob.

Mortar: Sand is mixed with masonry cement or Portland cement and lime

to be used in masonry construction.

Concrete: Sand is often a principal component of this critical construction

material.

Hydraulic fracturing: A drilling technique for natural gas, which uses

rounded silica sand as a "proppant", a material to hold open cracks that

are caused by the hydraulic fracturing process.

Glass: Sand is the principal component in common glass.

Landscaping: Sand makes small hills and slopes (for example, in golf
courses).

Paint: Mixing sand with paint produces a textured finish for walls and

ceilings or non-slip floor surfaces.

Railroads: Engine drivers and rail transit operators use sand to improve the
traction of wheels on the rails.

Recreation. Playing with sand is a favorite beach time activity. One of

the most beloved uses of sand is to make sometimes intricate, sometimes
simple structures known as sand castles. Such structures are well known
for their impermanence. Sand is also used in children's play. Special play
areas enclosing a significant area of sand, known as sandboxes, are
common on many public playgrounds, and even at some single family
homes.

Roads: Sand improves traction (and thus traffic safety) in icy or snowy
conditions.

Sand animation: Performance artists draw images in sand. Makers of

animated films use the same term to describe their use of sand on frontlit
or backlit glass.

Sand casting: Casters moisten or oil molding sand, also known

as foundry sand and then shape it into molds into which they pour molten
material. This type of sand must be able to withstand high temperatures
and pressure, allow gases to escape, have a uniform, small grain size and
be non-reactive with metals.

Sand castles: Shaping sand into castles or other miniature buildings is a

popular beach activity.

Sandbags: These protect against floods and gunfire. The inexpensive

bags are easy to transport when empty, and unskilled volunteers can
quickly fill them with local sand in emergencies.

Sandblasting: Graded sand serves as an abrasive in cleaning, preparing,

and polishing.

Thermal weapon: While not in widespread use anymore, sand used to be

heated and poured on invading troops in the classical and medieval time
periods.

Water filtration: Media filters use sand for filtering water.

Zoanthid "skeletons": Animals in this order of

marine benthic cnidarians related to corals and sea anemones, incorporate sand
into their mesoglea for structural strength, which they need because they
lack a true skeleton.
Resources and environmental concerns
Only some sands are suitable for the construction industry, for example for
making concrete. Because of the growth of population and of cities and the
consequent construction activity there is a huge demand for these special
kinds of sand, and natural sources are running low. In 2012 French
director Denis Delestrac made a documentary called "Sand Wars" about the
impact of the lack of construction sand. It shows the ecological and economic
effects of both legal and illegal trade in construction sand.
Sand's many uses require a significant dredging industry, raising
environmental concerns over fish depletion, landslides, and flooding.
Countries such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Cambodia ban sand

exports, citing these issues as a major factor.[8] It is estimated that the annual
consumption of sand and gravel is 40 billion tons and sand is a $70 billion
global industry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand

Water-resistant concrete
Water-resistant concretes are impermeable to water and other fluids either above or below
ground. They are high density concretes that incorporate fine particle cement replacements.
Your third party accredited supplier of ready-mixed concrete will ensure you are provided
with the correct waterproof concrete suitable for your requirements, working to
EN206: BS8500 the European and UK standards for concrete.

http://www.concretecentre.com/default.aspx?page=1094

Fire resistance
In fire, concrete performs well both as an engineered structure, and as a material in its own
right.
Because of concretes inherent material properties, it can be used to minimise fire risk for the
lowest initial cost while requiring the least in terms of ongoing maintenance. In most cases,
concrete does not require any additional fire-protection because of its built-in resistance to
fire. It is a non-combustible material (i.e. it does not burn), and has a slow rate of heat
transfer. Concrete ensures that structural integrity remains, fire compartmentation is not
compromised and shielding from heat can be relied upon.

Benefits

Concrete as a material
Concrete does not burn it cannot be set on fire unlike other materials in a building and it
does not emit any toxic fumes when affected by fire.
Concrete is proven to have a high degree of fire resistance and, in the majority of
applications, can be described as virtually fireproof. This excellent performance is due in the
main to concretes constituent materials (cement and aggregates) which, when chemically
combined within concrete, form a material that is essentially inert and, importantly for fire
safety design, has relatively poor thermal conductivity. It is this slow rate of conductivity (heat
transfer) that enables concrete to act as an effective fire shield not only between adjacent
spaces, but also to protect itself from fire damage.

Concrete structures
Concrete structures perform well in fire. This is because of the combination of the inherent
properties of the concrete itself, along with the appropriate design of the structural elements
to give the required fire performance and the design of the overall structure to ensure
robustness.
Fire performance is the ability of a particular structural element (as opposed to any particular
building material) to fulfill its designed function for a period of time in the event of a fire.
These criteria appear in UK and European fire safety codes.

Concrete proof
The impact of a major fire at Tytherington+ County High School, Cheshire, was limited due
to the fire resistance of the concrete structure. Rather than taking a year to be demolished
and replaced, as was the case with an adjacent lightweight structure, the concrete
classrooms were repaired ready for the following term.

http://www.concretecentre.com/technical_information/performance_and_benefits/fire_res
istance.aspx

Q&A: WHY WATER AND VINEGAR?

by Green Plastics

04/08/11 Discussion
A couple of students have recently been trying to understand why certain ingredients are
used in the creation of bioplastic.

I think we can answer both of these questions at the same time!

Water: Water is used as a solvent to get the biopolymer (starch) into solution. When the
solution is heated, the water helps the starch molecules to become disrupted and disordered
(denatured). When dried, the disordered polymer chains become entangled and a neat film
is formed. The process is called film-casting.

Vinegar: Starch dissolves better if a small amount of ions (electrically charged particles) are
present in the mixture; the polymer molecules become disordered more easily, and the
resulting cast films are somewhat improved. These added ions interact with both the starch
and the small amounts of other polymers (lipoproteins) that are present in commercial
starch. One way to add ions into the mixture is to use ammonium acetate. Ammonium
acetate works very well in this respect because it forms ammonium ions and acetate ions in
solution. However, ammonium acetate is not readily available. Vinegar is a practical
alternative that you can use when making your own bioplastic. Vinegar contains acetic acid
which forms hydrogen ions and acetate ions, and (importantly) it is readily available. This is
why adding a little bit of vinegar is recommended specifically when making home-made
bioplastic films from starch.

If you cant (or dont want to) use vinegar, ordinary table salt (sodium chloride) is a
reasonable substitute; it forms sodium ions and cloride ions. Whatever is added, the ions
that are formed in solution help to dissolve the starch and to denature the starch when the
mixture is heated, so that when the mixture is dried, somewhat better films are formed.

Hope this helps! Happy experimenting.

http://green-plastics.net/posts/69/qaa-why-water-and-vinegar/

Chapter III
Methodology

A.

Research Design

This study made used of the Experimental Research Design. There were a
total of (3) three treatments.
The first treatment, the researchers used (1000g) of cornstarch, (50mL) of
vinegar, (40mL) of glycerin and (50mL) of water.Thesecond

treatment, the

researchers used (750g) of cornstarch, (50mL) of vinegar, (40mL) of glycerin and

(50mL) of water.The third and final treatment, the researchers used (1000g) of
cornstarch, (50mL) of vinegar, (40mL) of glycerin and (50mL) of water.
All of the following treatments, were added with (1000g) of gravel and (1000g) of
sand.

B. Materials and Apparatuses

The following materials used in this experiment are cornstarch, water, vinegar,
glycerin, gravel, sand.
And apparatuses like pan, spatula, stove, measuringcups, basin, and molder.

C. General procedure
a. Gathering of Materials/ Apparatuses

Prepare all the following materials needed, includingcornstarch, water,

vinegar, glycerin, gravel, sand, pan, spatula, stove, measuring cups, basin, and
molder.

b. Preparation of BIO-PLASTIC
First, get a pan, spatula, stove, measuring cup/ medicine dropper, cornstarch,
glycerin, vinegar, and water.

c. Making BIO-PLASTIC
In a pan, pour (1000g) of cornstarch, (50mL) of vinegar, (40mL) of glycerin
and (50mL) of water for the first treatment. In another pan, (750g) of cornstarch,
(50mL) of vinegar, (40mL) of glycerin and (50mL) of water for the second treatment.
In the third pan, (1000g) of cornstarch, (50mL) of vinegar, (40mL) of glycerin and
(50mL) of water for the third and the last treatment. Mix it using the spatula while its
cold. Once everything is stirly mix, turn the heat on of the stove.

d. Preparation of CMU
Prepare the concrete block molder, basin, sand, and gravel to make the
Concrete Masonary Unit block

e. Mixing BIO-PLASTIC and Concrete Masonary Unit

In each basin, pour the corresponding treatments and replicates (mixture) and
mix it with (1000g) of gravel and (1000g) of sand.

f. Molding BIO-PLASTIC CMU

Pour the treatment (mixture) in each concrete block molder. Make sure that all
mixture will be used.

g. Drying
After molding the treatment (BIO-PLASTIC and Concrete Masonary Unit) in
the molder.Slowly push down the BIO-PLASTIC CMU to remove in the molder. Dry it
under the sun for 24 hours.

h. Testing

D. Flow Chart
Gathering of
Materials/Apparatuses

Preparation of BIO-PLASTIC

Preparation of CMU

Making BIO-PLASTIC

Mixing BIO-PLASTIC &

Concrete Masonary Unit

Molding BIO-PLASTIC CMU

Testing

Drying