Utilisation of Plastic Waste as Synthetic Fiber and Aggregate in Concrete – A Review

Plastic waste materials are non-biodegradable and therefore require safe and economic disposal to have a green environment. The use of plastic waste in the construction industry holds a big potential to minimize the global environmental burden. For this purpose, a comprehensive review of published research works was done that disclosed the use of plastic waste materials, like polypropylene (PP), high-density polypropylene (HDPE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), in concrete as partial or full replacements for cement and aggregates. This paper has reviewed various properties, like workability, compressive strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength, temperature effect, elastic modulus, drying shrinkage, carbonation, and structural behavior of concrete with stated plastic waste materials. The review revealed that the strength, durability and structural characteristics of such concrete improved while the workability was reduced. The review gave information that the footpath panels with HDPE, PP and PET fibre can be used as a substitute for steel-reinforced panels. The review also indicated that further detailed investigations on various strength and durability properties are required on concrete made using plastic wastes like HDPE, PP, and PET with various aspect ratios.