Date of Completion
Summer 7-5-2022
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Construction Engineering
Department
Construction Engineering
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Dr. Metin Oguzmert
Abstract
Recent years have seen an exponential increase in plastic product consumption worldwide. Manufacturing, and individuals rely on plastics in almost every aspect, as a result, a negative impact on the environment is detected due to the large quantities and low biodegradability of plastic waste. The massive amount of plastic waste and end-of-life tires produced annually required a vast area of landfills, which became a major concern far and wide. To address these issues, an eco-friendly approach consisting of incorporating plastic and rubber waste into engineering applications, such as plastic concrete, and rubberized concrete was proposed. A primary objective of this study is to summarize recent advancements in the utilization of recycled materials in the concrete mix design. Three types of plastics, High-Density Polyethylene -HDPE, Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene -UHMWPE, Polyethylene Terephthalate -PET, and a Grind/ Crumb rubber were evaluated to be used in a concrete mixture to determine the physical and mechanical properties. There are numerous differences between the approaches and techniques used by the studies covered in this paper, making comparisons unsuitable. In the author’s opinion rubber was superior to other materials. Recommendations were provided based on the findings.