THE EFFECT OF PLASTIC STRIPS AS ADDITIVE TO

ENHANCE THE COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF

CONCRETE BRICKS.

Pasia, Nina Criselle B.

Almazan, Kainne Angelle Q.
BSCE – 3A
 CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

RATIONALE

Concrete is the most widely used constitution materials in the world. It

obtained by mixing cement sand and water with a required proportion. The mixtures

need to be formed and allowed to cure to make it hard. Industries around the world

rely on concrete as a safe, strong and simple building materials. It is used in different

types of infrastructure she housing, bridges, mads and etc.

During the past years, plastic waste has been an environmental issued due to

the long biodegradation period. That's why the utilization of industrial waste in

construction has been of great interest in the industrialized and developing countries

(Racusin. & McArleton 2012). This led for the researchers to use plastic strips

(plastic bottles) as an additive to enhance the compressive strength of concrete brick

knowing that concrete has low tensile strength, low ductility and absorption and the

cause of low tensile behavior of the concrete in its low toughness. Therefore,

improving the strength of concrete would lead to a better concrete performance. By

adding a number of plastic strips (20%, 40% and 60%) to the concrete during mixing

will make the strip entangled and this can prevent a crack opening before being

pulled or stressed in rupture.

The productive use of plastic strips represents a means and how hard a

concrete can be if such plastic strip will be added to the structure. Today there are

many studies that are being developed that will enable building materials to be

progressively infused with recycled plastic constituent in order to increase strength,

durability and impact resistance and enhance appearance of a certain concrete.

Based from the study conducted by (Jo et al. 2006), they've investigated the

mechanical properties such as compressive strength and flexural strength of polymer

concrete using unsaturated polyester resin based on recycled PET, which

contributes to reducing the cost of the materials and saving energy.

According to (Mohamed et al), they investigated the effect of fiber waste and

fiberglass and evaluate the efficiency on fresh and hardened concrete for trying to

produce a concrete with high strength. The experimental study was carried out to

test for compressive strength of concrete for six types of concrete mixtures were

casted in the form of cubes were studied for 7 and 28 days. The proportions

considered are 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, 0.5% of fiber waste and fiberglass from

mixture weight respectively. The research was shown that the effect of fiber waste

and fiberglass on the fresh concrete that the workability decreases as the proportion

of the fiber waste and fiberglass additives increases.

This is the reason why the researchers conducted this study entitled "The

Effect of Plastic Strips as an Additives to Enhance the Compressive Strength of

Plastic Brick. Knowing that plastic especially plastic bottles are commonly found in

the place.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The following independent, dependent variables and expected outcomes are

observed in the study.

Independent Expected Outcome

Variable
Percent of plastic - Concrete brick with
strips: Dependent Variable 40% plastic strips has
a greater strength
-20% -Compressive than concrete with
strength 20% and 60%
-40%
- While 20% have a
-60% greater strength
rather than local
Control concrete and 60%
- Local concrete - The researchers
brick expected that
concrete with no
plastic strips is the
lowest in terms of
strength.

Base from the table above, it shows that the study uses different amount of

plastic strip as their independent variable and not using plastic strip for the control

set up. The study observe the compressive strength of produce samples and it

expected that using plastic strips in concrete brick can enhance its strength.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This Quantitative Research wants to know the effect of using different plastic

resin to enhance the compressive strength of concrete brick.

Specifically, it will answer the following question:

1. Mean strength of concrete with plastic strip of:

a.) 20%

b.) 40%

c.) 60%

d.) local concrete brick

2. Is there a significant difference between the compressive strength of the local

concrete brick and the concrete brick with:

a.) 20% plastic strips

b.) 40% plastic strips

c) 60% plastic strips

3.) What is the effect of using plastic strip in enhancing the strength of concrete

brick?
HYPOTHESIS

- There is no significant difference in the compressive strength of the concrete brick

with plastic strips and local concrete brick.

- There is a significant difference in the compressive strength of the concrete brick

with plastic strips and local concrete brick.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

This research study focused on the effect of plastic strip as an additive to

enhance the strength of concrete brick. The study used plastic bottle strip which is

mixed during making concrete and the study only concern on the physical ability of

the strips to tangle during mixing with cement and sand. The study used

compressive testing machine to determine the strength of the bricks.

The standard size of concrete brick, chemical properties of plastic to mix with

water and other plastic are not included in this study.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

It is expected therefore that the results of the study would help and benefit the

following:

Students- the study can help the students to learn about the effectiveness of using

plastic materials especially plastic bottles to enhance the compressive strength of

concrete brick.

Community- it can benefit the people to reduce expenses in construction materials

because they can make their own bricks using plastic bottles.

Manufacturer of Bricks- this study will help the company of concrete brick to gain

knowledge to enhance the structure and produce a better brick for the community.

Future Researchers- the study can help them to have an advance knowledge about

producing enhanced bricks by the used of plastic strip.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

For better understanding of the study, the following definitions are provided:

Plastic strips- it is a kind of materials being used to enhance the strength of

concrete brick

Enhance- the outcome or the improvement of using plastic resin to the concrete

brick. Compressive Strength- it refers to the resistance of a materials to breaking

under compression or great amount of force and it is being observe in the study.

Concrete Brick- it is the mixture of cement and aggregate, usually sand, formed in

molds and cured.

Molder- the tools that used to measure the dimension of the concrete brick.

Plastic brick- it refers to the concrete brick with plastic strips and it is the outcome

variable of the study.

Compressive Testing Machine- It is a machine that measure the strength of

concrete, it measures the strength by adding a great force on top and bottom part of

the brick.
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter represents some literature as well as the studies for better

understanding and give solution and support to the aim of this study which is to know

the effect of different types of plastic resin to enhance the compressive strength of a

concrete brick.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Figure 2.1) Concrete Brick

A concrete is primarily used as a building material in the construction of walls,

floorings and buildings. It sometimes called a concrete masonry unit based from

Concrete batching plant volume (3). Most of the concrete commonly used to make

concrete blocks is a mixture of cement, water, sand or grave and a typical mortar
mixed ratio of 1 cement: 3 sand, based from home improvement. This produces a

light gray block with a fine surface texture and a high compressive strength. It shows

that concrete can weigh 38-43 lbs. and addition concrete mixture used for blocks ha

a higher percentage of sand and low percentage of gravel and water than the

concrete mixtures used for general construction purposes.

While according to (Hing, 2008), concrete is relatively durable and robust

building material, but it can be severely weakened by poor manufacture or a very

aggressive environment. There are a number of historic concrete structures which

exhibit problems that are related to their date of origin. Such problems are being

solved by application of using recycled plastic waste in concrete construction.

Figure 2.2) Plastic

During this time people are just throwing garbage everywhere and this

includes plastics. Knowing that where ever people go there were always a plastic

stray in the street and most people surely don't know the benefits of plastic that's

why they have no care about throwing it around. Plastics can be recycled and reuse

for a better purpose. But according to Marval Industries Inc., plastic can be
recognized as plastic resin and it is the main base of all plastics. It also said that

there are different types of plastic according to its recycled codes.

 High Density Polyethylene #2

 Low Density Polyethylene #4

 Polypropylene #5

 Polystyrene #6

 Polyvinyl Chloride #3

 Polyethylene Terephthalate #1
RELATED STUDIES

The following studies can help the researchers to improve the study about

using plastic as an additive for concrete enhancement. According to (Chandrakaran

2004) has explained a laboratory experimental study carried out to utilize waste

plastics (in the form of strips) obtained from milk pouches in the pavement

construction. Results of the study indicate that by adding plastic strips in the soil,

shear strength, tensile strength and CBR values of the soil increases. In this study,

plastic or polythene sheets having thickness of 0.5mm and which are made up of

high density are used. Three types of plastic strips were used in this study to act as a

reinforcing material. The first one was cut into 20mm x 40mm size, second one was

25mm x 50mm size and the third one was of 30mm x 60mm size. These plastic

strips have innumerable advantageous properties like high tensile strength, low

permeability etc., These plastic strips act as a good barrier to gases and liquids and

are unaffected by cycles of wetting and drying. For all the strips used in this

experimental work, an aspect ratio of 2 is maintained.

According to the study conducted by (Safinia & Alkalbani, 2016) entitled

"Used of recycled plastic water bottles in concrete blocks". It reveals the result that

the difference between compressive strength of concrete block between 7 days and

14 days is about 2.5 Mpa, while the difference of compressive strength of concrete

block between 14 days and 28 days is around 0.57 Mpa. There difference between

the values of compressive strength of cylinder and values of compressive strength of

concrete block is due to the different of gross area between the cylinder and

concrete block. But in study conducted by (Ismail & AL-Hashmi, 2007) entitled "Use

of waste plastic in concrete mixture as aggregate replacement". All of the

compressive strength values are higher than the minimum compressive strength
required for structural concrete which is 17.24 MPa. In the study by increasing the

ratio of plastic the strength is getting higher and lower but it didn't exceed the

minimum compressive strength.

While in the study of (G.S. Sangal) and entitled "Study the effect of plastic

waste on the strength of concrete". The study shows that the apart from compressive

strength, tensile strength also increases which leads to the flexibility in the structure.

The study represents that for 1000 ml bottle, the tensile strength at 28 days is 1.7

MPA. As the size will increase. The tensile strength will increase which finally helps

in the work of the construction. The splitting tensile and flexural strength of concrete

containing any type of PET-aggregate is proportional to its loss of compressive

strength. And based from (Jassim, 2016) the researcher conducts a study entitled

"Recycling of Polyethylene to Produce Plastic Cement" tells that the compressive

strength of plastic cements that produce by mixing fine polyethylene wastes and

Portland cement after immerged 7 days in water. The yield points for different

specimens have been found which lie in the range of 568 to 971 N after 7 days and

from 571 to 2352 N after 28 days.

According to (Subramani & Pugal, 2015) they conduct a research entitled

"Experimental Study on the Plastic Waste as a Coarse Aggregate for Structural

Concrete". The study makes a brick with a different ratio of plastic mixture and test

the strength after 7 days, 14 days and 28 days. The result shows that in 7 days of

curing plastic with a ratio of 5% plastic got 25 N/mm2, 10% plastic they got 29

N/mm2 and for 15% plastic it got 27 N/mm2. When in 14 days of curing the

compressive strength rise but 10% with plastic still got the high compressive strength

and goes with 28 days of curing.

SYNTHESIS

The related literature gathered give knowledge about how plastic strips can be

useful as an additive to enhance the strength of a concrete by different methods and

gathering of data. This will be used in the research study. This related literature is

somehow connected to the related study because the study of concrete brick is to

test the compressive strength of a brick with plastic.

 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

RESEARCH DESIGN

This study entitled "The Effect of Plastic Strips as an Additives to Enhance the

Compressive Strength of Plastic Brick" used Quasi Experimental Research, because

the researchers wants to know the effect of using plastic strip to the strength of

concrete when bonded. In the study the researchers used plastic bottles and cut it

into strips. The researchers used compressive testing machine to test the strength of

produced concrete bricks.

SAMPLE SET UPS

The proportion of plastic strips to be added and methods during

concrete

mixes.

20%

60%

Combine dry then mix with water.

40%

In this set-up the researcher will used a plastic strip c with a proportion of

20%, 40% and 60% and added in cement, sand to be mixed with water and form it in

the molder. It needed to mold 3 samples of each proportion and cure it within 2

weeks.
Table 3.1: Concrete mix design for Plastic strips and concrete brick

Set Up Percent Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Percent Percent Percent

of plastic of of of Water

strips Cement Sand

A 20% 25% 75% 25%

B 40% 25% 75% 25%

C 60% 25% 75% 25%

Local 25% 75% 25%

Concrete

RESEARCH INSTRUMENT

Table 3.2: The gathered data.

Set Up Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 n SD Mean

The researchers used this design of table in order to plot every trial of

gathered compressive strength of the concrete with different percent of plastic strips.

The table analyze and present the total samples, standard deviation and the mean of

each set-ups.
DATA GATHERING PROCEDURE

In this study the researchers provide a research samples composed of 4 set

ups where in in every set up there would be 3 trials. The primary data gathering

method used was investigate and using of compressive testing machine to

determine the strength of each set-ups. The researchers gathered the data and

tallied to get the mean using One-way ANOVA Test after 2 weeks of curing.

STATISTICAL TOOL

To determine the mean and the significant difference between the strength of

concrete brick, the researchers used the formula of One-way Anova Test.

MSbetwⅇⅇn
F=
MSwithin

 First define the null and alternative hypothesis.

 State the alpha level (0.05).

 Get the degree of freedom.

 Calculate the MSbetween and MSwithin.

SS
MSbetween=
df

SS
MSwithin=
df