Sustainable utilization of polyethylene terephthalate in producing local precast flooring concrete slabs

Abstract

A polyethylene terephthalate plastic material is widely used in Iraq for packages manufacturing, especially for the mineral water bottles. They turn out to be waste very rapidly due to their particular short period of use. Furthermore, the recycling amount of polyethylene terephthalate bottles is considerably fewer than the sales of virgin polyethylene terephthalate manufacture for public consumptions. In the current research, the results of rupture load, water absorption and density tests implemented on precast flooring concrete slabs reinforced by fibers prepared from waste polyethylene terephthalate bottles are reported. The fibers were prepared by the simple cutting way to the bottles of carbonated beverage, and then the fibers are incorporated in the ordinary concrete mix in different volume fraction and aspect ratio. The outcomes of the rupture load and water absorption of the plastics fibers reinforced precast flooring concrete slabs exhibited apparent increase when compared with the plain precast flooring concrete slabs. This can offer the potential and practical use of the waste plastic in the development of the production of precast flooring concrete slabs.