Experimental Investigation on 10%, 20% and 30% Replacement of

Cement by Glass Powder in Concrete

Harsh Chordiya [1], Rohan Choudhary [2]
Harsh Chordiya, School of Engineering & Technology, Sandip University, India
@ sandipuniversity.edu.in;
Rohan Choudhary, School of Engineering & Technology, Sandip University, India
@ sandipuniversity.edu.in

ABSTRACT
This experimental study explores the potential of partial replacement of cement with glass
powder in concrete, focusing on mechanical properties, durability, and environmental
sustainability. Waste glass powder, a byproduct of the glass industry, is considered as a
sustainable alternative to conventional cement. Various mix proportions were tested to
determine the optimal replacement percentage. The results indicate that incorporating glass
powder in concrete can be a promising sustainable approach, reducing the environmental
impact and conserving natural resources. Non-degradable wastes have been a major issue now
in the 21st century as more and more of these wastes are piling up in our world today and being
disposed of in landfill areas without being recycled. These wastes take up a very long period
to decompose. Because of this problem, researches have been done to fully utilize these wastes
as the final products for construction materials such as concrete. Increasing emphasis on the
use of sustainable materials in construction has led to the use of variety of cement replacement
materials in concrete. One such material, with an underutilized 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 & durability properties of cementitious systems
containing a fine glass powder. It is shown on this paper that concrete mixtures could be
proportioned to achieve similar or higher compressive strengths.

Keywords: Glass Powder, Cement Replacement, Sustainable Construction, Mechanical

Properties, Durability, Environmental Impact.

INTRODUCTION
Concrete is widely popular throughout the construction industry due to the various advantages
of accessibility, availability and economy associated with it. It is made by the mixing of binding
material, generally cement, fine aggregate and coarse aggregate with water. Environmental
issues are playing an important role in the sustainable development of the cement and concrete

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industry. Numerous efforts have been made within the concrete industry to use Waste Glass
(WG) as a partial replacement for natural aggregates or Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) [1].
It is realized that mixed-colour waste glass gives desired chemical composition and reactivity
for use as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) for enhancing the chemical stability,
pore system characteristics (pore refinement, discontinuity, and pore filling), moisture
resistance and durability of concrete. To achieve these benefits, waste glass needs to be milled
to micro scale particle size for accelerating its beneficial chemical reactions in concrete. These
beneficial effects of milled waste glass can enhance the residual cement (which forms the
interface in new concrete) occurring on the surface of recycled aggregates and are thus expected
to improve the performance characteristics of recycled aggregate concrete. Earlier researchers
have investigated the use of glass in normal Concrete. The main concerns for the use of crushed
glasses as aggregates for Portland cement concrete are the expansion and cracking caused by
the glass aggregates due to alkali silica reaction [2].

METHODOLOGY
1. Selection of Materials:
a. Cement: Ordinary Portland Cement 43 Grade (OPC-43) is chosen as the base cementitious
material for the concrete mixes. Its properties, conforming to IS 269:2015, were considered
for consistent comparison and adherence to industry standards.
b. Glass Powder: Waste glass available in local shops has been collected and made into glass
powder. Glass waste is very hard material. Before adding glass powder in the concrete, it
must be powdered to desired size less than 150µ. Glass powder is added to the cement
separately before dry mixing with other material. The specific gravity of glass powder is
found to be 2.69. This value is far less than 3.15 for Portland Cement.

Figure 1. Glass Powder

c. Fine Aggregates: The fine aggregate used in this investigation is crushed stone sand
conforming to IS 383:2016, whose max size is 4.75 mm the sand was first air-dried to
reduce considerably its moisture content.
d. Coarse Aggregate: Crushed stone conforming to IS 383:2016 is used as coarse aggregate of
size 20 mm.

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e. Water: Potable water was used in the mix to maintain uniformity and standardize the
water-cement ratio across all the concrete samples conforming to IS 456:2000.
f. Superplasticizers: 1% of superplasticizer by weight of cement is added to the mix concrete
to increase the workability conform to IS 9103:1999. The name of plasticizer used Conplast
SP-430.
2. Mix Proportions:
For this project, M25 Grade of Concrete is used with ratio 1:1:2 that is, 1 part of Cement, 1
part of Fine Aggregate (Crush Sand) and 2 parts of Coarse Aggregate (20 mm Metal).
a. Control Mix (0% Glass Powder): The control mix was designed with 100% cement and
conventional mix proportions of sand, coarse aggregates, and water to establish a baseline
for comparison.
b. Experimental Mixes (10%, 20%, and 30% Glass Powder): Various mix proportions
were designed by partially replacing the cement with glass powder in percentages of 10%,
20% and 30% by weight. These proportions were calculated to maintain the required
workability and strength characteristics.
3. Preparation of Concrete Samples:
a. Mixing of Materials: Concrete mixes were prepared by hand mixed. The dry materials
(cement, glass powder, sand, and aggregates) were initially mixed thoroughly. Water was
then added gradually, and the mixture was mixed until a uniform consistency was achieved.
b. Casting of Mixed Concrete: The mixed concrete was cast into standard moulds of size
150 × 150 × 150 mm. For split tensile strength, the mixed concrete was cast into cylindrical
mould of size 150 mm diameter and 300 mm height. For flexural strength, the mixed
concrete was cast of size 150 ×150 × 300 mm.
c. Curing of Specimens: The specimens were demoulded after 24 hours and cured in a curing
tank at a controlled temperature of 20 ± 2°C for 7 and 28 days to achieve optimum strength
development.
4. Testing Procedures:
1. Compressive Strength Test: The compressive strength of the concrete cubes was
determined using a compression testing machine following IS 516:2021 (Part-1 Sec-I) [3].
2. Split Tensile Strength Test: The split tensile strength of cylindrical specimens was
determined using a universal testing machine as per IS 516:2021 (Part-1 Sec-I) [3].
3. Flexural Strength Test: The flexural strength of prismatic specimens was determined
using a three-point bending test in accordance with IS 516:2021 (Part-1 Sec-I) [3].
4. Chemical Analysis:
• X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) Analysis: Identifies the mineralogical composition of the
concrete with glass powder.

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5. Microstructure Analysis:
• Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM): Examines the microstructure of the concrete
to observe the interaction between glass powder and cementitious materials.

RESULTS
1. Compressive Strength:

Table 1. Compressive Strength

Replacement Average Compressive Strength Average Compressive Strength
Level (%) at 7 Days (N/mm2) at 28 Days (N/mm2)

0% (Control) 18.44 28.37

10% 20.60 31.70

20% 22.30 34.30

30% 19.74 30.36

7 Days 28 Days
40 34.3
Compressive Strength (N/mm2)

31.7 30.36
28.37
30
20.6 22.3
18.44 19.74
20

10

0
0% 10% 20% 30%
Replacement Level (%)

Chart 1. Compressive Strength

2. Split Tensile Strength:

Table 2. Split Tensile Strength

Replacement Average Split Tensile Strength Average Split Tensile Strength
Level (%) at 7 Days (N/mm2) at 28 Days (N/mm2)

0% (Control) 2.94 4.71

10% 3.09 4.98

20% 3.33 5.17

30% 2.97 4.87

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 7 Days 28 Days
6 5.17

Split Tensile Strength (N/mm2)

4.71 4.98 4.87
5
4 3.33
2.94 3.09 2.97
3
2
1
0
0% 10% 20% 30%
Replacement Level (%)

Chart 2. Split Tensile Strength

3. Flexural Strength:

Table 3. Flexural Strength

Replacement Level Average Flexural Strength at Average Flexural Strength at
(%) 7 Days (N/mm2) 28 Days (N/mm2)

0% (Control) 3.27 4.33

10% 3.59 4.59

20% 3.71 4.78

30% 3.38 4.45

7 Days 28 Days
6
Flexural Strength (N/mm2)

4.59 4.78
5 4.33 4.45
4 3.59 3.71
3.27 3.38
3
2
1
0
0% 10% 20% 30%
Replacement Level (%)

Chart 3. Flexural Strength

CONCLUSION
1. In conclusion, the experimental investigation on partial replacement of cement by glass
powder in concrete at percentages of 10%, 20% and 30% has provided valuable insights

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 into the performance of these mixtures. The study adhered to relevant IS codes, ensuring
the reliability and accuracy of the results.
2. Based on the findings, it can be observed that the addition of glass powder as a partial
replacement for cement exhibits promising results in terms of enhancing certain properties
of concrete.
3. The compressive strength, split tensile strength and flexural strength test conducted as per
IS code standards IS 516:2021 (Part-1 Sec-I) revealed that the mixtures with 10% and 20%
glass powder replacements showed comparable strength to the control mixture with 100%
cement. However, the 30% replacement showed a slight decrease in compressive strength,
indicating a potential threshold beyond which higher glass powder content may adversely
affect strength characteristics.

REFERENCES
1. S. Rahman, M. N. Uddin, “Experimental Investigation of Concrete with Glass Powder as
Partial Replacement of Cement”, Civil Engineering and Architecture 6 (3):149-154, 2018.
2. Harish B. A., Hanumesh B. M., Siddesh T. M., Siddhalingesh B. K., “An Experimental
Investigation on Partial Replacement of Cement by Glass Powder in Concrete”,
International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET), Volume 03, Issue
10, October 2016.
3. “IS 516:2021 (Part-1 Sec-I) - Hardened Concrete - Methods of Test, Part 1 - Testing of
Strength of Hardened Concrete, Section 1 - Compressive, Flexural and Split Tensile
Strength (First Revision)”, Bureau of Indian Standards, March 2021.