Can plastic be used in place of cement?

Shredded waste plastic effectively can be used in concrete without compromising with strength. Maximum compressive strength is observed at addition of 4\% of shredded plastic in concrete. Furthermore addition will lead to decrease in compressive strength after 28 days of proper curing.

Is plastic as strong as concrete?

It was found that sand-sized PET particles from recycled plastic bottles provided the best results, achieving a target compressive strength of 54 MPa, similar to that of structural concrete.

Can concrete melt plastic?

A. According to Bernard Erlin, the principal chemicals in concrete that could conceivably attack plastics are calcium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide. Erlin cites a table from Handbook of Chemistry and Physics stating that rigid PVC has excellent resistance to strong alkalies.

Why do you put plastic over concrete?

Covering the curing concrete with plastic keeps it cleaner, but there is a more important purpose behind this practice. To prevent cracks, plastic is placed over the curing concrete to trap the water inside and regulate its temperature, ensuring gradual curing.

How long do you leave plastic over concrete?

A: The longer concrete stays damp after it’s poured, the stronger it will be. Cover it with plastic or damp cardboard for a minimum of three days. A week is even better. For large slabs there is even some benefit at 28 days.

Does concrete hurt PVC?

It’s not best practice, which is to keep plumbing below the slab to prevent cracking of the slab and damage to the plumbing from fasteners, etc. Concrete doesn’t approach the high temperatures necessary to warp or soften PVC.

Can plastic be used as a substitute for concrete?

Experts have found that plastic can be an effective substitute for traditional aggregates such as sand, which, when combined with cement, create a durable and lightweight concrete.

What is a good alternative to concrete?

Other than finding substitutes for cement, replacing aggregate materials with recyclable and reusable resources is an effective strategy used to minimize greenhouse emissions caused by traditional concrete. Some aggregate alternatives include paper/fiber, waste plastic, post-consumer glass, and concrete debris.

How stable is plastic concrete?

In order to test the stability of the “plastic concrete”, the students mixed cement with a fine powder of the irradiated PET bottles and used it to pour concrete blockse. A compression test showed: The PET-concrete blocks were up to 20 percent more stable than normal cement.

How much more stable is pet concrete than concrete?

A compression test showed: The PET-concrete blocks were up to 20 percent more stable than normal cement. Used plastic bottles could make foundations, bridges, walkways and barriers more stable in the future in this way. The addition of 1.5 percent PET powder improves the concrete structure.