An overview of the benef its of using glass powder as a partial cement replacement material in concretes

Increasing emphasis on the use of sustainable materials in construction has led to the use of a variety of cement replacement materials in concrete. One such material, with an under-utilized potential is glass powder, given the vast amounts of glass that is present in the solid waste stream of any major city. This paper summarizes information on the mechanical and durability properties of cementitious systems containing a fine glass powder made from recycled window plate soda-lime glass. It is shown in this paper that concrete mixtures could be proportioned to achieve similar or higher compressive strengths, reduced rapid chloride transport properties, and better calcium ion leaching resistance as compared to Class F fly ash modified concretes of the same replacement level. A better understanding of the performance of a non-standard cement replacement material such as glass powder could lead to increased usage of this material, consequently contributing to sustainability.