Utilizing Waste Recycled Glass as Sand/Cement

Replacement in Concrete
Bashar Taha, Ph.D.1; and Ghassan Nounu, Ph.D.2

Abstract: The potential use of waste recycled glass in concrete as recycled glass sand 共RGS兲 and pozzolanic glass powder 共PGP兲 was
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examined in this study. No major difference was found in compressive strength of concrete with the presence of RGS as sand replacement.
While, the compressive strength of concrete reduced by 16 and 10.6% at 28 and 364 days respectively when 20% of Portland cement was
replaced by PGP. The potential expansion of concrete due to alkali-silica reaction 共ASR兲 was monitored according to the procedure of
British Standard BS 812 Part 123:1999. As a siliceous material, the use of RGS as sand replacement in concrete possesses high risk of
ASR expansion. Therefore, cracks were observed when RGS was used as sand replacement in concrete without any precautions to
minimize this risk. Different materials were used as ASR suppressors to mitigate the potential risk of ASR, such as: ground granulated
blastfurnace slag, metakaolin, PGP, and lithium nitrate 共LiNO3兲. The expansion associated with ASR was significantly reduced when the
ASR suppressor was used in concrete.
DOI: 10.1061/共ASCE兲0899-1561共2009兲21:12共709兲
CE Database subject headings: Recycling; Glass; Sand, material; Concrete.

Introduction
Due to rapid growth of population and industry, the generated
waste is enormously increased. Hence, recycling of waste mate-
rials has become a critical issue worldwide. In theory, closed loop
recycling technique is considered as the best sustainable practice
to reuse waste materials. However, in some circumstances, be-
cause of high cost imposed from sorting and cleaning processes
of waste material, the closed loop cannot be applied in recycling
process. For instance, it is not feasible to reuse contaminated
mixed-color waste recycled glass in glass industry because of the
high cost required for sorting and cleaning and inconsistence in
the properties of the contaminated mixed-color waste recycled
glass.
Several research works were carried out to examine the possi-
bility of reusing waste recycled glass in concrete and construction
industry as alternative solution to reduce the generated bulk of
mixed-color waste recycled glass, and establish solid ground for
clear understanding and further investigation 共Dhir et al. 2004; Jin
et al. 2000; Shayan and Xu 2003兲.
The potential risk of alkali-silica reaction 共ASR兲 in concrete
with the presence of recycled glass as an aggregate replacement
was first investigated by Schmidt and Asia 共1963兲. The possibility
of using very fine grounded powdered glass as pozzolanic mate-
1
Chief Construction Engineer, Roads and Transport Authority, P.O.
Box 79623, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 共corresponding author兲. E-mail:
bashar.taha@rta.ae
2
Faculty of Environment and Technology, School of the Built and
Natural Environment, Univ. of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane,
Frenchay BS16 1QY, Bristol, U.K. E-mail: ghassan.nounu@uwe.ac.uk
Note. This manuscript was submitted on October 26, 2006; approved
on April 21, 2009; published online on November 13, 2009. Discussion
period open until May 1, 2010; separate discussions must be submitted
for individual papers. This paper is part of the Journal of Materials in
Civil Engineering, Vol. 21, No. 12, December 1, 2009. ©ASCE, ISSN
0899-1561/2009/12-709–721/$25.00.
rial to replace the cement was first examined by Pattengill and
Shutt 共1973兲.
ASR is considered as a major obstacle that restrains the use of
recycled glass in concrete 共Dhir et al. 2003兲. The ASR was first
discovered in 1940’s by Stanton 共1940兲. The product of the ASR
is known as the alkali-silicate gel. The ASR gel has the ability to
absorb water with a consequent tendency to swell and increase in
volume. As a result, ASR gel can severely damage the microstruc-
ture of concrete due to the generated internal stresses because of
the volume changes. ASR is considered as a long-term problem,
and the detrimental consequences may not manifest for years, but
it is always considered as a potential risk 共Swamy 1992兲.
Mechanism of ASR
There are three essential elements necessary for ASR. These ele-
ments are: enough alkali content, reactive silica, and moisture.
The alkali in concrete comes from the cementitious material,
while the reactive silica is available in the siliceous aggregates.
The ASR starts when the pore solution of high alkaline attacks the
siliceous minerals available in the aggregate 共Folliard et al. 2003兲.
Because of the alkali attack, the reactive silica will then dissolve
to form the alkali-silicate gel. The potential hazard of this reaction
is the ability of the produced ASR gel to absorb water and swell
inside the microstructure of concrete and generate an internal
pressure that may exceed the strength of concrete and can cause
severe cracks and damage. In order to mitigate the ASR risk,
using the following materials in concrete have proven very effec-
tive to suppress ASR i.e., low alkali cement, nonreactive aggre-
gates, CSMs, and lithium compounds as chemical admixtures.
Mitigating ASR by Using Cement Supplementary
Materials
Cement supplementary materials 共CSMs兲 can effectively reduce
ASR risk when used in concrete as cement replacement e.g.,

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J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 2009, 21(12): 709-721

 Experimental Programme Plan

Sand Replacement - RGS Cement Replacement - PGP

0% Control 50% 100% 0% Control 20%

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Mineral Additives Replacement and Chemical Admixture

CEM1 60% 10% 20% 1%

Control GGBS MK PGP LiNO3

Visual Inspection & Observations

Fresh Concrete Properties Hardened Concrete Properties

ASR Monitoring & Measurements

Results Analysis & Discussion

Fig. 1. Experimental program

ground granulated blastfurnace slag 共GGBS兲 and pulverized fuel
ash 共Aquino et al. 2001; Shehata and Thomas 2000兲. Meyer and
Xi 共1999兲 and Shehata et al. 共1999兲 were concluded that the al-
kalis available in the cementitious supplementary materials will
be consumed in the chemical reaction of the hydration process to
form hydration products Therefore, the alkalis will not be avail-
able in the pore solution for further chemical reaction such as the
ASR at later stages, as the alkalis will be chemically bonded in
the hydration products.
Mitigating ASR by Adding Lithium Compounds as
Chemical Admixture
McCoy and Caldwell 共1951兲 were the first who studied the pos-
sibility of using Lithium compounds to mitigate the ASR. It was
found in several studies that lithium compounds can effectively
suppress the ASR 共Lumley 1997; Qian et al. 2002兲. The following
explanations extracted from previous research works to clarify
this phenomenon
• Collins et al. 共2004兲 and Feng et al. 共2005兲 were concluded
that lithium ions are more readily to incorporate in the ASR
gel product due to their small ionic radius and higher surface
charge density compared to the other alkali ions available in
concrete i.e., sodium 共Na兲 and potassium 共K兲.
• Mo et al. 共2003兲 were stated that the nature of lithium-bearing
ASR product is a nonexpansive crystalline. Therefore, the
greater proportion of lithium against other alkalis will reduce
the risk of the destructive ASR expansion in concrete 共Dia-
mond 1997兲.
• Mitchell et al. 共2004兲 concluded that the presence of lithium in
concrete can act as a protective layer of a nonexpansive
lithium-bearing silicate on the surface of the reactive aggre-
gate particles.
Hence, the presence of lithium in concrete can minimize the
ASR expansion due to the following:
1. Lithium compounds can change the nature and chemical
composition of the produced ASR gel.
2. Lithium compounds can reduce the solubility of the reactive
silica.
3. Lithium compounds can reduce the ability of any dissolved
silica to be repolymerised and form ASR gel particles.
4. Lithium compounds can increase the repulsive forces be-
tween the particles of the ASR gel causing these particles to
be scattered, and thus the expansive ability of the ASR gel
will be reduced.
Research Significance
Recycling of contaminated mixed-color waste recycled glass pos-
sesses major problem for municipalities globally. This problem
can be greatly eliminated and solved by reusing mixed-color
waste recycled glass as sand/cement replacement in concrete, as-
suming that potential ASR risk can be controlled. The compre-
hensive results obtained from this study will support the results
and conclusions of previous research work and furnish the ground
for further investigation in the same topic.
Experimental Program
The experimental program of this study was divided into two
parts 共Fig. 1兲. The first part includes exploring the impact of the

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 Table 1. Groups and Subgroups of Concrete Mixes
Group 1-control 2-GGBS 3-MK 4-PGP 5-Li
Cementitious materials 100% CEM1 40% CEM1, 90% CEM1, 80% CEM1, 100% CEM1,
control mix 60% GGBS 10% MK 20% PGP 1% LiNO
RGS Content 0% CEM-0 GGBS-0 MK-0 PGP-0 LiNO-0
50% CEM-50 GGBS-50 MK-50 PGP-50 LiNO-50
100% CEM-100 GGBS-100 MK-100 PGP-100 LiNO-100

presence of mixed-color waste recycled glass as sand/cement re- Testing Program

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placement on the properties of fresh and hardened concrete. The

investigation of ASR and the mitigating measures will be per- Test details and program are described in the following sections.
formed in the second part.

Properties of Fresh and Hardened Concrete

Concrete Mixes
In order to assess the impact of using waste recycled glass as
The normal sand 共fine aggregate兲 was replacement by recycled
sand/cement replacement 共RGS and PGP兲 on the properties fresh
glass sand 共RGS兲 at two levels, 50 and 100%. As for cement
and hardened concrete, the tests were conducted on three speci-
replacement, 20% of portland cement CEM1 was replaced by
mens. Average of three results was considered in this study.
pozzolanic glass powder 共PGP兲. Five groups of concrete mixes
were prepared as follows, Group 1: CEM1—control mix, Group
2: GGBS, Group 3: metakaolin 共MK兲, Group 4: PGP and Group
5: LiNO3. Each group was subdivided into three concrete mixes Tests for Fresh Concrete
that illustrate the levels of RGS replacement 0, 50, 100% 共Table
1兲. The amount of water absorption and moisture correction of 1. Visual inspection according to BS EN 12350 Part 1: 2000
aggregates were calculated in order to ensure that the free water Consistency level and slump according to BS EN 12350 Part
required for cement hydration will not be consumed by any other 2:2000.
chemical or physical operation during concrete mixing. 2. Wet density according to BS EN 12350 Part 6:2000.

Concrete Mix Proportions for Mechanical Properties Tests for Hardened Concrete
Tests
1. Compressive strength according to BS EN 12390 Part
The proportions of concrete mixes which prepared to study the 3:2000. The compressive strength test will be performed on
properties of fresh and hardened concrete are shown in Table 2. 100 mm cube at different ages as follows: 1, 3, 7, 28, 56, 91,
182, and 364 days.
2. Tensile splitting strength according to BS EN 12390 Part
Concrete Mix Proportions for ASR Test 6:2000. The tensile splitting strength test will be performed
on 100 mm cube at 28 days.
The proportion of concrete mix given in British Standard BS 812 3. Flexure strength according to BS EN 12390 Part 5:2000. The
Part 123:1999 was used in this study for ASR testing program. flexure strength test will be performed on 100⫻ 100
Concrete proportions are measured by volume 共Table 3兲. Four ⫻ 500 mm prism at 28 days.
concrete prisms were cast for each concrete mix to perform ASR 4. Water absorption according to BS 1881 Part 122:1983. The
test. water absorption test will be performed on core extracted
from 100 mm cube at 28 days.

Table 2. Concrete Mix Proportions for Fresh and Hardened Properties Test Method for Alkali-Silica Reaction
Tests
Coarse Coarse ASR expansion of concrete was monitored as described in test
Cement aggregate aggregate Fine method of British Standard BS 812 Part 123:1999. Four concrete
content Free water 20 mm 10 mm aggregate
prisms with cross section of 75⫻ 75⫻ 279 mm were cast for
共kg/ m3兲 w/c 共lit/ m3兲 共kg/ m3兲 共kg/ m3兲 共kg/ m3兲
each concrete mix in order to conduct the ASR test and measure
440 0.38 167.2 690 390 760 the expansion. The prisms were water cured for 7 days at room
temperature. After the 7 days water curing period, the concrete
Table 3. Concrete Mix Proportions for ASR Test in accordance with BS prisms were stored in cylinders to maintain the humid environ-
812:123 共1999兲 ment that necessary for ASR inside an environmental chamber
Cement Water 20 mm 10 mm Sand with controlled temperature of 38⫾ 2 ° C. The measurements of
prisms length were made at ages of 1, 2, 4, 13, 26, 39, and 52
22.2% 22.8% 16.5% 22.0% 16.5%
weeks using length comparator apparatus. An extra period of 26

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 Table 4. Alkali Content and the Required K2SO4 according to the BS 812–123 共1999兲
Group ID 1-control 2-GGBS
CEM1 content 100% 40%
Mineral additives 0 60% GGBS
Na2Oeq 共%兲 0.58 0.61
Alkaline content 共kg/ m3兲 4.07 4.24
Added K2SO4 共kg/ m3兲 8.25 7.76
weeks was proposed in this study in order to evaluate efficiency
of the ASR suppressors at longer period.
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ASR Suppressors
The potential risk of ASR in concrete with the presence of RGS in
concrete was monitored by the method of BS 812 Part 123:1999.
The effectiveness of using different mineral additives to suppress
ASR expansion was also investigated. GBS and MK, PGP were
used in this study as cement replacement to mitigate the ASR. The
possibility of using lithium nitrate 共LiNO3兲 in concrete as chemi-
cal admixture to mitigate the ASR was also explored.
Alkali Content
The alkali content in the concrete will be only referred to the
alkali of the cementitious materials. The alkali content in concrete
mixes that presented in the amount of sodium equivalent Na2Oeq
关Eq. 共1兲兴 of cementitious materials was adjusted in accordance
with BS 812 part 123:1999, such that it is comparable to that of
concrete mix prepared by using cement having Na2Oeq equal to
1.00⫾ 0.05%. The alkali content in concrete was adjusted by add-
ing an appropriate quantity of potassium sulfate K2SO4 to mixing
water in order to maintain high alkali content and secure the
conditions for ASR 关Eq. 共2兲兴 共BS 812 Part 123:1999兲. The calcu-
lations of alkali content, sodium equivalent and the required po-
tassium sulfate 共K2SO4兲 are shown in Table 4
Na2Oeq = Na2O + 0.658 ⫻ K2O 共1兲
where, Na2Oeq = sodium equivalent; Na2O = sodium oxide content
in the cement; and K2O = potassium oxide content in the cement
M = C ⫻ 共1 − s兲/35.56 共2兲
where M = mass of potassium sulfate K2SO4 in 共g兲, to nearest 0.01
g; C = cement content in concrete mix in 共g兲; and s = sodium oxide
equivalent Na2Oeq of cement, as % by mass 关Eq. 共2兲兴.
Recycled Glass Sand as Sand Replacement
Due to rapid cooling applied during the manufacturing process of
glass, the structure of glass crystals will experience derangement
due to insufficient time for structure to be uniformly distributed.
Therefore, glass is categorized as an amorphous material with
70%, or more, of its chemical composition considered as highly
reactive silica. Therefore, the use of RGS in concrete possesses
high potential risk of ASR. In this research work two level of sand
replacement in concrete were adopted, 50 and 100% by mass. It
was considered that the alkalis in RGS are not available for ASR
due to the chemical bond that restrains the alkalis in glass to
contribute in ASR. The alkali content in cementitious materials
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J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 2009, 21(12): 709-721
3-MK 4-PGP 5-LiNO
90% 80% 100%
10% MK 20% PGP 1% LiNO3
0.68 3.30 0.58
4.74 23.08 4.07
6.37 n / a共a兲 8.25
i.e., the sodium equivalent 共Na2Oeq兲 was calculated as described
in Eq. 共1兲. The alkali content in the five groups is as follows: 4.07,
4.24, 4.74, 23.08, and 4.07 kg/ m3, for the groups CEM, GGBS,
MK, PGP, and LiNO3 respectively. In order to maintain the alkali
content in concrete to be equal to 1.00⫾ 0.05%, potassium sulfate
K2SO4 was added 共if required兲 to the mixing water 共Eq. 共2兲兲.
Pozzolanic Glass Powder as Cement Replacement
Very fine glass powder is considered as pozzolanic material that
can contribute to the formation of the hydration products 共Dyer
and Dhir 2001兲. Very fine PGP is produced by reducing the par-
ticle size of waste recycled glass. The proposed level of cement
replacement by PGP in this study was 20% by mass.
Materials
The materials used in the research work are listed in the following
sections.
Cementitious Material
Portland Cement „CEM1…
Ordinary portland cement 共CEM1兲 class 42.5N in accordance
with British standard BS EN 197 Part 1:2000 will be used in this
study. The alkali content 共Na2Oeq兲 of the CEM1 is 0.58%.
Cement Supplementary Materials „Ground
Granulated Blastfurnace Slag and Metakaolin…
Two different types of mineral additives were used in this study
as cement replacement, GGBS and MK. The CEM1 was replaced
by 60% of GGBS and 10% of MK. The alkali content 共Na2Oeq兲 of
the GGBS and MK was 0.62 and 1.54% respectively.
Pozzolanic Glass Powder
Very fine glass powder with an average size particle passing sieve
size 45 ␮m was used as cement replacement. The alkali content
共Na2Oeq兲 of the PGP was 14.16%. Chemical compositions of ce-
mentitious materials 共CEM1, GGBS, MK, and PGP兲 are shown in
Table 5. The alkali content for cementitious materials is given in
Table 6.
Lithium Nitrate „LiNO3…
Anhydrous lithium nitrate LiNO3 which is specified as a reagent
for general laboratory was used in this study. Lithium nitrate
共LiNO3兲 was dissolved in the mixing water and added to concrete
mix as a chemical admixture to suppress ASR.
 Table 5. Chemical Analysis of Cementitious Material
Cementitious
material CaO SiO2 Al2O3 Fe2O3 MgO Na2O K 2O TiO2 Mn3O4 SrO P 2O 5 V 2O 5 Cr2O3 BaO
CEM1 64.45 20.41 5.63 2.85 1.09 0.18 0.64 0.27 0.06 0.09 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05
GGBS 40.89 35.19 13.18 0.39 7.86 0.29 0.50 0.55 0.0 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05 0.10
MK 0.06 55.24 40.88 0.71 0.28 0.15 2.08 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05 0.15 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05
PGP 8.61 72.26 1.04 0.17 3.89 13.31 0.52 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05

Aggregate Properties of Fresh Concrete

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Natural limestone crushed rock coarse aggregate and sea dredge It was found that the homogeneity of concrete was reduced when
sand 共SDS兲 fine aggregate obtained from local sources were used RGS was used in concrete as sand replacement. Wet density of
in this study. The coarse and fine aggregates were regionally cat- concrete was also reduced as the content of RGS increased in
egorized as nonexpansive aggregate according to the Building
concrete. Furthermore, segregation and bleeding were becoming
Research Establishment 共1997兲 interpretation to BS 812 Part
very obvious with the presence of RGS in concrete. These
123:1999.
changes can be explained as follows:
1. The consistency of concrete mix was reduced due to the lack
Recycled Glass Sand of fines in RGS compared to SDS.
2. The density of concrete contains waste glass was lower than
Mixed-color RGS of particle size less than 5 mm, provided by normal concrete that was made by SDS due to lower density
Day Aggregate Ltd was used directly in concrete without any of RGS compared to SDS.
cleaning or sorting process. Results of sieve analysis for both 3. Due to the inherent smooth surface and negligible water ab-
SDS and RGS are shown in Fig. 2. The results of relative density sorption of RGS, very little water was trapped at the surface
and water absorption are shown in Table 7. The chemical compo- of RGS. Therefore, the cohesive force inside the concrete
sition of SDS and RGS are given in Table 8. mix was reduced. Therefore, segregation and bleeding were
clearly identified in the concrete mixes.
4. The sharp edges of RGS increase the friction forces inside
Findings and Discussion the concrete mix during mixing or handling, which reduces
the consistency of concrete.
The impact of using RGS and PGP as sand and cement replace- On the other hand, it was observed that there was no signifi-
ment on properties of fresh and hardened concrete will be dis- cant change in the slump of concrete when PGP was used as
cussed in the following sections.
cement replacement. As for the wet density, it was found that due
to lower density of PGP compared to CEM1, wet density of con-
Table 6. Alkali Content in the Cementitious Materials in accordance to crete was slightly dropped when PGP was used.
the BS EN 196 Part 121 共1992兲 The results of slump, wet density tests and the observations of
visual inspection carried out on fresh concrete are available in
Cement type Na2O K 2O Na2Oeq
Table 9.
CEM1 0.16 0.64 0.58
GGBS 0.30 0.49 0.62
MK 0.18 2.06 1.54
Properties of Hardened Concrete
PGP 13.82 0.52 14.16

The effects of using RGS and PGP as sand and cement replace-
ment on the properties of hardened concrete will be discussed in
the following sections.
100
100% SDS
80 100% RGS
50% SDS+50% RGS
Lower Boundaries Table 7. Relative Density and Water Absorption
60
Passing (%)

Upper Boundaries
Relative density
共ton/ m3兲
40 Water
Aggregate ODa SSDb absorption %
20
Coarse Aggregates 20 mm 2.66 2.67 0.60
10 mm 2.66 2.68 0.66
0
Fine Aggregates Sea dredge 2.60 2.63 1.00
0.01 0.1 1 10
Sieve Size (mm) Recycled glass 2.50 2.51 0.06
a
OD⫽oven dry density.
Fig. 2. Sieve size analysis for SDS and RGS b
SSD⫽saturated surface dry density.

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 Table 8. Chemical Analysis of SDS and RGS
CaO SiO2 Al2O3 Fe2O3 MgO Na2O K 2O TiO2 Mn3O4 SrO P 2O 5 V 2O 5 Cr2O3 BaO
SDS 7.11 78.57 2.55 2.47 0.46 0.42 0.64 0.15 0.10 ⬍0.05 0.09 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05
RGS 10.63 72.13 1.78 0.36 1.26 12.40 0.64 0.06 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05 ⬍0.05 0.09 ⬍0.05

Concrete Strength Results „Compressive, Split Water Absorption of Concrete

Tensile, and Flexural…
It was found that the amount of the absorbed water in concrete
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The effect of RGS on concrete compressive strength at 28 days is
shown at Fig. 3, while Fig. 4 shows the effect of RGS on com-
pressive strength at 364 days. Minor effect of RGS on concrete
compressive strength was found for Group 1. However, for the
other four groups the following observations were noted: Group 2
共GGBS兲 and Group 4 共PGP兲, the results of concrete compressive
strength were lower than other groups. Group 3 共MK兲 results
were higher than other concrete mixes of the other groups.
Fig. 5 shows the effect of RGS on split tensile strength at 28
days, while Fig. 6 reveals the effect of RGS effect on flexural
strength at 28 days. The stated observations for the compressive
strength are applied on split tensile and flexural strengths. The
possible explanations of these observations are:
• The change occurred in the properties of the cement paste-
aggregate as RGS presents in concrete.
• The impact of the severe bleeding and segregation occurred
because of presence of RGS in concrete on the microstructure
of concrete.
Average reduction of 16.0 and 10.6% was found in compres-
sive strength at 28 and 364 days respectively when 20% of CEM1
was replaced by PGP 共Fig. 7兲. Compared to control mix Group 1
CEM-1, the effect of PGP on split tensile and flexural strength at
28 days is represented in Figs. 8 and 9 respectively. The presence
of PGP in concrete as 20% cement replacement may also influ-
ence the properties of the microstructure of concrete 共Dyer and
Dhir 2001兲. Further investigation on this issue is required as there
is no evidence for this statement at this research work.
was reduced with the presence of RGS in concrete 共Fig. 10兲. It
can be concluded that as glass by its nature is an impermeable
material with very low value of water absorption, therefore, the
presence of RGS in concrete reduces the total demand of water
absorption.
In contrary, it was found that the amount of the water absorbed
was more when PGP was used in the concrete 共Fig. 11兲 compared
to the control concrete mix 共CEM兲. There is no clear explanation
can be given to address this behavior at this stage. Further inves-
tigation is required to identify the impact of PGP on the perme-
ability of concrete and water absorption property.
ASR Test
The results obtained from the experimental program of ASR test-
ing are explained below.
Potential Risk of the ASR
It was found that the presence of RGS in concrete without any
precautions measures to reduce ASR expansion possesses high
risk due to extensive ASR cracks. Fig. 12 shows the results of
ASR expansion for control concrete mix 共CEM兲: CEM-0, CEM-
50, and CEM-100.
No ASR cracks were observed in concrete mix CEM-0 共con-

Table 9. Properties of Fresh Concrete

RGS content Slump Wet density
Mix ID 共%兲 共mm兲 共kg/ m3兲 Visual inspection
CEM-0 0 120 2,440 Consistent and homogeneous
CEM-50 50 95 2,430 Homogeneous but less consistent
CEM-100 100 80 2,390 Harsh, bleeding, and segregation
GGBS-0 0 130 2,430 Very thick
GGBS-50 50 70 2,440 Bleeding and very thick
GGBS-100 100 75 2,370 Harsh, bleeding, segregation, and very thick
MK-0 0 80 2,420 Homogeneous
MK-50 50 80 2,410 Less homogeneous but no segregation
MK-100 100 50 2,380 Harsh, bleeding, and segregation
PGP-0 0 120 2,410 Homogeneous
PGP-50 50 140 2,400 Less homogeneous but no segregation
PGP-100 100 70 2,380 Harsh, bleeding, and segregation
LiNO-0 0 110 2,430 Consistent and homogeneous
LiNO-50 50 75 2,420 Homogeneous
LiNO-100 100 70 2,410 Harsh, bleeding, and segregation

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 120 120

Compressive Strength (N/mm2)

Compressive Strength (N/mm )

2
100 100

80 80
CEM-0 CEM-100 GGBS-0 GGBS-100
CEM-50 GGBS-50
60 60

40 40
0 50 100 0 50 100
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RGS Content (%) RGS Content (%)

Group 1 (CEM) - Control Group 2 (GGBS)

120 120

Compressive Strength (N/mm2)

Compressive Strength (N/mm )
2

100 100

80 80
MK-0 MK-50 MK-100 PGP-0 PGP-50 PGP-100

60 60

40 40
0 50 100 0 50 100

RGS Content (%) RGS Content (%)

Group 3 (MK) Group 4 (PGP)

120
Compressive Strength (N/mm2)

100

80

LiNO-50 LiNO-100
60 LiNO-0

40
0 50 100
RGS Content (%)

Group 5 (LiNO)

Fig. 3. Effect of RGS on compressive strength at 28 days

trol mix兲 in which only SDS was used. Deteriorated ASR cracks the efficiency of the ASR suppressors to reduce ASR expansion.
were observed in concrete mix CEM-100 when 100% of SDS was The ASR expansion observed in concrete mix CEM-100 was
replaced by RGS. As for concrete mix CEM-50, cracks were very high and ASR cracks were clearly identified in concrete.
clearly noticed due to ASR expansion. The ASR expansion of Scattered ASR cracks were extensively appeared in concrete
concrete mix CEM-50 at 52 weeks was within the allowable limit prisms CEM-50 and CEM-100 compared to CEM-0 as shown in
of nonexpansive aggregate according to BRE Digest 330 Part 2 Fig. 13. All ASR suppressors i.e., GGBS, MK, PGP and LiNO3
共1997兲 and BS 812 Part 123:1999. However, concrete mix used in this study have shown very good mitigating ability to
CEM-50 continued to expand due to ASR after 52 weeks and reduce ASR expansion, and the potential ASR expansion was ef-
considered as a potential risk as ASR expansion exceeded the ficiently controlled even with high RGS content i.e., 100% 共Figs.
allowable limit after 52 weeks testing period as shown in Fig. 12. 14–17兲.
In this study to, an extra period of 26 weeks was adopted examine The results obtained for Group 4 共PGP兲 showed that the use of

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Fig. 4. Effect of RGS on compressive strength at 364 days

PGP in concrete as a cement replacement can significantly reduce
ASR expansion 共Fig. 16兲. Further research work is required to
identify the effect of PGP on ASR. However, the following ex-
planations can be referred to explain the reduction of ASR expan-
sion with the presence of PGP in concrete.
1. The available alkali in concrete is considered as an alkali
activator for the hydration of PGP and consumed in the
chemical reaction of the hydration process to form the mi-
crostructure of concrete.
2. The available reactive silica available in the PGP was dis-
solved during the early stage of hydration and react with
other chemical elements to form other reaction products of
concrete. Therefore, it will not be free for further ASR at
later stages.

120 120
Compressive Strength (N/mm )

Compressive Strength (N/mm )

2

CEM-100
2

CEM-0
100 100 CEM-50

CEM-0 CEM-100
80 CEM-50 80 PGP-50 PGP-100
PGP-0

60 60
PGP-0 PGP-50 PGP-100

40 40
0 50 100 0 50 100
RGS Content % RGS Content %

28 days 364 days 28 days 364 days

Compressive strength at 28 days Compressive strength at 36 days

Fig. 5. Effect of RGS on split tensile strength at 28 days

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Fig. 6. Effect of RGS on flexural strength at 28 days

Conclusions differences in the microstructure of concrete. Nevertheless, this

It can be concluded that the properties of fresh concrete were
considerably affected when RGS was used in concrete as sand
replacement. Sever bleeding, segregation were clearly noticed in
all concrete mixes contain 100% RGS. In addition, the concrete
experienced obvious inconsistency when 100% RGS was used as
sand replacement. Relatively, the observed undesirable changes in
the properties of fresh concrete were less when only 50% of sand
was replaced by RGS.
Compared to SDS, the following points can be summarized to
explain the effect of RGS on the properties of fresh concrete
• Angular shape and sharp edges of the RGS particles.
statement could not be tested and verified to be approved in this
research work, therefore, further studies are recommended in the
same topic
It was concluded that tensile splitting and flexural strength
were decreased when RGS and PGP were used in concrete as
sand and cement replacement due to the following:
10
9
Split Tensile Strength (N/mm2)

• Impermeable surface and low absorption value of RGS.

• Lack of fines in RGS. 8
• Inconsistency of properties of RGS.
• The changes occurred in the properties of cement paste- PGP-0 CEM-50
CEM-100
aggregate as RGS presents in concrete. 7
CEM-0
As for the use of PGP in concrete as cement replacement, it
was found that there is no major impact on the properties of fresh 6 PGP-50
of concrete when PGP presented in concrete. Contrary, it was PGP-100
noticed that the presence of PGP in concrete can enhance the
properties of fresh concrete, as well as, the handling and placing 5
of fresh concrete. This can be explained due to the improvement
in the shape and texture of the glass particles when the particles
4
size was reduced.
0 50 100
No major changes were found in the compressive strength of
concrete with the presence of RGS in concrete as 50 or 100% as RGS Content (%)
sand replacement. However, when 20% of the Portland cement
was replaced by PGP, the compressive strength was reduced by Fig. 7. Effect of PGP on compressive strength at 28 and 364 days
16% compared to control mix. This can be concluded due to the compared to Group 1 共CEM兲

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Fig. 8. Effect of PGP on split tensile strength at 28 days compared to Group 1 共CEM兲

• The change occurred in the properties of the cement paste-

aggregate.
• The angular shape of the RGS particles.
• The impact of the severe bleeding and segregation on the
properties of the microstructure of concrete.
It was also concluded that due to the low value of water ab-
sorption of RGS compared to SDS, the amount of the absorbed
water in concrete was reduced when RGS was used in concrete as
sand replacement. Unlike the PGP, the water absorption in con- 8
crete was slightly increased.
It was confirmed in this study that the use of RGS in concrete
as sand replacement possesses high risk of ASR. Extreme damage
due to the ASR cracking was observed when RGS was repre- 7
Flexural Strength (N/mm2)

sented in concrete. The integrity of the concrete was badly af- CEM-0
fected. As a result, it is not recommended to use RGS in concrete
without any precaution measures i.e., using ASR suppressors to PGP-0 CEM-50
6
eliminate the potential ASR damage. All the used ASR suppres-
sors in this study 共GGBS, MK, PGP, and LiNO3兲 were proven to PGP-50
be very effective to reduce and eliminate the potential ASR risk, CEM-100
as the expansion of ASR was considerably reduced when ASR 5
suppressors were used in concrete. PGP-100

4
Acknowledgments
0 50 100

The writers would like to thank the faculty of the built environ- RGS Content (%)
ment of the University of the West of England, Bristol for financ-
ing the research work. Special thanks to Mr. Rick Drew the Fig. 9. Effect of PGP on flexural strength at 28 days compared to
concrete laboratory technician for his valuable assistance. Group 1 共CEM兲

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Fig. 10. Effect of RGS on water absorption at 28 days

52 weeks test period of BS 812-123 Extra 26 weeks test period

2.5

0.70
Water Absorption (%)

0.60
2.0 PGP-50
0.50
ASR Expansion(%)

CEM-0 PGP-100
0.40 Digest 330 BRE & BS812-123 Allowable
PGP-0 CEM-50
Boundary for ASR Expansion
0.30
1.5 CEM-100
0.20

0.10

1.0 0.00
0 1 2 4 13 26 39 52 65 78
0 50 100
Age (weeks)
RGS Content (%)
CEM-0 CEM-50 CEM-100
Fig. 11. Effect of PGP on water absorption at 28 days compared to
Group 1 共CEM兲 Fig. 12. ASR Expansion of Group 1 共Control兲

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J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 2009, 21(12): 709-721

 52 weeks test period of BS 812-123 26 weeks extra test period

0.24

0.20

ASR Expansion(%)
0.16
Digest 330 BRE & BS812-123 Allowable
Boundary for ASR Expansion
0.12

CEM-0 (0% RGS) CEM-50 (50% RGS) 0.08

0.04
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0.00
0 1 2 4 13 26 39 52 65 78
Age (weeks)

PGP-0 PGP-50 PGP-100

Fig. 16. ASR Expansion of Group 4 共PGP兲

CEM-100 (100% RGS)

Fig. 13. Concrete prisms of Group 1 共CEM兲 at 52 weeks age. Prisms

CEM-50 and CEM-100 are cracked due to ASR expansion. 52 weeks test period of BS 812-123 26 weeks extra test period

0.24

52 weeks test period of BS 812-123 26 weeks extra test period

0.20
ASR Expansion(%)
0.24 0.16
Digest 330 BRE & BS812-123 Allowable
Boundary for ASR Expansion
0.20
0.12
0.16
ASR Expansion(%)

Digest 330 BRE & BS812-123 Allowable 0.08

0.12 Boundary for ASR Expansion
0.04
0.08
0.00
0.04 0 1 2 4 13 26 39 52 65 78

0.00 Age (weeks)

LiNO-0 LiNO-50 LiNO-100

-0.04
0 1 2 4 13 26 39 52 65 78
Age (weeks)
Fig. 17. ASR Expansion of Group 5 共LiNO兲
GGBS-0 GGBS-50 GGBS-100

Fig. 14. ASR Expansion of Group 2 共GGBS兲 References

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