USE OF WASTE MATERIALS AND INDUSTRIAL BY-PRODUCTS IN

CONSTRUCTION

1.

Product title: Ground-granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS or GGBFS)

Product type: by-product of iron and steel-making

Description: GGBS is obtained by quenching molten iron from a blast furnace in water or
steam, to produce a glassy, granular product that is then dried and ground into a fine powder.
The main components of blast furnace slag are CaO (30-50%), SiO2 (28-38%), Al2O3 (8-
24%), and MgO (1-18%). In general, increasing the CaO content of the slag results in raised
slag basicity and an increase in compressive strength. The MgO and Al2O3 content show the
same trend up to respectively 10-12% and 14%, beyond which no further improvement can
be obtained.

Process: To obtain a good slag reactivity or hydraulicity, the slag melt needs to be rapidly
cooled or quenched below 800°C in order to prevent the crystallization of merwinite and
melilite. To cool and fragment the slag a granulation process can be applied in which molten
slag is subjected to jet streams of water or air under pressure. Alternatively, in the
pelletization process the liquid slag is partially cooled with water and subsequently projected
into the air by a rotating drum. In order to obtain a suitable reactivity, the obtained fragments
are ground to reach the same fineness as Portland cement.

Applications: GGBS is used to make durable concrete structures in combination with

ordinary portland cement and/or other pozzolanic materials. GGBS has been widely used in
many countries for its superiority in concrete durability, extending the lifespan of buildings
from fifty years to a hundred years.

Two major uses of GGBS are in the production of quality-improved slag cement, namely
Portland Blast furnace cement (PBFC) and high-slag blast-furnace cement (HSBFC), with
GGBS content ranging typically from 30 to 70% and in the production of ready-mixed or
site-batched durable concrete.

Advantages: Concrete made with GGBS cement sets more slowly than concrete made with
ordinary Portland cement. This results in lower heat of hydration and lower temperature.
Use of GGBS significantly reduces the risk of damages caused by alkali–silica reaction
(ASR), provides higher resistance to chloride ingress, reducing the risk of reinforcement
corrosion and provides higher resistance to attacks by sulphate and other chemicals.

2.

Product title: Plastic

Product type: recycled from wastes resulting from various processes.

Description: It is a material consisting of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic

organic compound that are malleable and so can be moulded into solid objects.

Properties:The Plastics have low specific gravity generally ranges from 1.3 to 1.4. Plastics
offer great resistance against chemicals and solvents. Chemical composition of plastics
during manufacturing will decide the degree of chemical resistance. Most of the plastics
available in the market offer great corrosion resistance. Thermo-plastic types of plastics can
be easily reshaped and reused. Thermo-plastic types of plastics can be easily reshaped and
reused. Ductile nature of plastic is very low. When tensile stress is acting on plastic member
they may fail without any prior indication. Plastics with sufficient surface hardness are
having good durability. Plastics are good electric insulators. Any type of finishing treatment
van be given to the plastics. Mass production of plastic particles with uniformity of surface
finish is done by having technical control during manufacturing. The resistance to
temperature or fire for varieties of plastics considerably varies depending upon the structure.
Plastics made of cellulose acetate are burnt slowly. PVC made plastics do not catch fire
easily. Plastics made of phenol formaldehyde and urea formaldehyde are fire proof materials.
Fixing of plastic materials is so easy. We can bolt, drill or glued to fix plastic material
position. Maintaining of plastics are so simple. Because they do not need any surface
finishing coats or paints etc. Generally, plastics have very low melting point. Some plastics
may melt at just 50oC. So, they cannot be used in the positions of high temperature. plastic is
strong material but ideal section of plastic which is useful for structural component is not
designed yet. The reinforcement of fibrous material into plastic improves its strength.
Applications:

1. Roofing Tiles

Using recycled plastics to build roofing tiles reduces cost to a great extent. Other undeniable
benefits from recycled plastic roofs include:

Lighter material

Easier, quicker installation

Lower carbon footprint

2. Concrete

Recycled plastics can be used to make stronger concrete structures in the form of sidewalks,
driveways and more. Students at MIT have recently conducted experiments with recycled
plastic by exposing small amounts of it to gamma radiation, mixing it into a powder and then
mixing that into cement paste. Doing so can produce concrete that is up to 15% stronger than
regular concrete, allowing this form of construction to be both longer-lasting and eco-
friendlier.

3. Indoor Insulation

This will maximize our home’s energy efficiency levels.

Additional benefits for insulation from recycled plastics include:

Easy installation

Durability

Long-term energy savings

4. Structural Lumber

Using recycled plastic as the main ingredient in structural lumber as an alternative to other
materials such as steel, comes with indisputable advantages. By using plastic to make lumber
instead of wood, we no longer have to spray wood with toxic preservatives to protect it from
aspects such as insects and weather.
5. PVC Windows

Plastics for PVC windows have grown in popularity because they are easy to design and can
adapt to many varying styles. A bonus is that because they are made primarily from plastics,
the frames are 100% recyclable. Other benefits include:

Longer lifetime (up to 40 years)

Surplus of production material

Same insulation quality as regular plastic

6. Bricks

Bricks are a stable material to build a home with, and more and more companies are
embracing the idea of building bricks with recycled plastic. Recycled bricks can be put
together in a LEGO-like way, making a home’s building time much quicker than it would be
with traditional brick. This plastic product can also be fire-resistant, is cheaper, and, of
course, is eco-friendlier.

7. Floor Tiles

The floor covering in your house is one of the most essential aspects in creating your dream
home, and it has become more common to utilize floor tiles that contain recycled plastics.
Some of their benefits include:

Easy installation process

Easy to clean

Quiet and warm

Affordable

8. Carpeting

Plastic carpets made from recycled materials are more stain resistant and colour fast. Also,
recycling your carpet after years of use provides plastics with another way to be incorporated
into more products.
9. Ceiling Tiles

Since plastic is easy to work with, the installation process is quite simple.

Some other pros include:

Low maintenance (no painting, varnishing, or additional coats required once installed)

Long lasting

Affordable

Great insulation material

Uses of some specific plastic material in building construction

No. Plastic Material Uses Form in which Normal colour

it is commonly
used
1 Expanded Thermal Thin sheets in White
polystyrene insulation slabs 12mm
thick
2 Expanded Thermal Boards 20 to 50 Yellow
polyvinyl insulation mm thick brown
chloride (PVC)

3 Foamed urea Thermal Foamed in situ White

formaldehyde insulation
4 Foamed phenol Thermal Sheets and Deep red
formaldehyde insulation blocks
5 Phenolic resins Adhesives for Dark
laminates
3.

Product title: Newspaper wood

Product type: recycled from old newspapers

Description: NewspaperWood is made by coating individual sheets of old newspaper with

glue and then tightly rolling the glued sheets into logs. The glue used is solvent and
plasticizers-free.The material can be treated like most other wood products by cutting,
milling, sanding, and finishing with paint or varnish. When cut into planks, the layers of
paper reveal wood grain-like patterns of ink. Sanding the material roughens up the fibers of
the newspapers and provides a soft texture that can be left unfinished.

Application: It can be used as fire logs, furniture, fetching home décor etc.There are
limitations to the material and its use in larger applications.