Strength and Stiffness of Ground Waste Glass–Carbide Lime Blends

Abstract

Waste from soda–lime glass is a solid waste usually available near urban centers. This study examines the potential use of such a material as a construction component. Finely ground waste glass mixed with carbide lime might be able to act as a hydraulic cement and could be shaped into blocks and used as an alternative to masonry blocks or bricks. It also could be applied in stabilized rammed wall construction, as well as in beds of pipelines and spread footings. When in alkaline environments, pozzolanic reactions occur between silicates in amorphous phases (present in ground waste glass) and Ca2+ (found in lime). This technical note establishes the effects of carbide lime content and dry density on the properties (i.e., strength and stiffness) of compacted ground waste glass–carbide lime mixes. More specifically, it quantifies the unconfined compressive strength (qu) and the shear modulus at small strains (G0) of ground waste glass mixed with carbide lime as a function of the porosity/lime index. Results show that qu varies from about 2.1 to 4.7 MPa and G0 from about 3,600 to 8,500 MPa, depending on curing time, porosity, and amount of carbide lime. Tobermorite, a calcium silicate hydrate mineral, was detected as the key crystalline phase shaped by the cured ground glass–carbide lime blends after 28 days of curing.