Eighth International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

Interlocking paving blocks/stones have become the flooring choice of external work/compounds of modern construction developments in Nigeria. The reason may be a result of the comparative advantage of the stones over concrete flooring. Concrete has a tendency to crack and is difficult to get a level surface. In this research the prospect of plastic waste as a partial replacement of coarse aggregate in the production of paving stones was investigated. This was achieved by determining the compressive and flexural strength of the specimen produced. Recycling this waste material to produce new products tends to solve many environmental problem, like pollution, overloaded landfills because of non-biodegradable nature of plastic wastes, and depletion of natural resources, which pose a threat to sustainable development. This study was conducted by partial replacement of coarse aggregate 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 30%, 50% with plastic waste. Compressive strength tests were carried out on the paving stones size ( 216 x 150 x 60mm) while the flexural strength of the beams size (150 x 150 x 450mm) were tested. Different mix ratios and curing days were also adopted to bring about wider results. The results generally showed positive result in compressive strength up to 50% replacement, but the percentage increase dropped at 50% for all curing age except for fourteen days. This makes it suitable for lightweight traffic. Flexural strength increases with increase in curing age and decreases with increase in percentage replacement. This implies poor mechanical performance in flexure or bending.