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Abstract. Malaysia is facing serious challenges in dealing enormous quantities of waste paper sludge produced in the
country every year. This enormous quantity causing major economic problems and environmental problems over the
paper and board industry. In order to confront with the economic problems associated with waste disposal costs, which
make up almost half of the cost of wastewater treatment, there is a need to provide a viable solution to the reuse of waste
and by reducing the use of natural resources. Hence, a comparative analysis of the experimental results novel properties
of fresh and hardened concrete with recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) with different substitution of waste paper sludge
INTRODUCTION
Sustainable development in construction project has actually made economic growth achievable. The process
may not seems to be easy but the effectiveness on application of waste materials as a substitute of natural resources
has been identified as important in order to avoid problems received by the paper and board industry in terms of
economy. Among the greatest environmental problem and cost-effective problem received by the paper and board
industry is the paper mill sludge. The material is The Malaysia Newsprint Industry (MNI), generates about 80 tons
of carbonized waste paper sludge ash (WPSA) from papermaking industries and mash wood. In Pahang, for
example, it has been reported that the transfer of about 80 tons of waste from the paper industry to landfill causing a
large load and reduce the lifespan of the facility around this [1].
The new exploration invention of safely reuse the WPSA and RCA which may be an alternative way to recycle
waste material such as the waste paper sludge and waste concrete aggregates in order to ensure a more applicable
method for concrete mix design in future. Related commitment must also follow the progress of new invention as
well as practices which are more important for the construction industry. Research and design about a new way to
enhance the performance of concrete in terms of its strength are among the best solution in order to certify with
economical design and sustainable construction. This can be shown due to the fact that, the application from 30% of
RCA and from 70% of natural aggregates in high strength concrete gives the same concrete strength as the concrete
using only natural aggregate [2]. The RCA which can be obtained from the site tested concrete cubes can be very
useful since it shows good potential as coarse aggregate for the new production of concrete [3].
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Concrete is widely used in the construction of most buildings. In order to improve the necessary strength of
concrete, a lot of research and innovation that are needed to achieve the target. This study aims to create a new idea
of concrete that will be far more economical. From this study, we can explore new invention to improve the concrete
mix in the construction industry with the use of Waste Paper Sludge Ash (WPSA) as the rest of the paper burning in
a waste paper recycling mill [4] in the cone. According to ASTM C618 for classification of fly ash, waste paper
sludge ash samples (WPSA) can be classified as Class C fly ash as a percentage of the total composition of the main
constituent components of silicon dioxide (SiO2), aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and iron oxide (Fe2O3) more from 70
percent. However, other researchers have found that a class-C WPSA considered higher calcium carbonate or
calcium fly ash content of free lime (CaO) approximately 62.39%. Nalbantongly [5] mentions that Class C fly ash
provides an inexpensive source of high-quality land agent because unstable nature strengthen themselves. WPSA
alloy may contain reactive silica and alumina (in the form of metakaolin) and lime (CaO) that contribute to the
chemical ingredients of Portland cement. Paper sludge ash, it is potentially suitable as an ingredient in cement kiln
feed, contribute calcium, silica and alumina and the production of cement mixture.
This research were summarized the behaviour of concrete with the WPSA by replacement of cement in the range
of 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% which may help to reduce the disposal problem of waste paper sludge and enhance the
properties of concrete. In fact, the concrete structure will also be made up with usage of recycle concrete aggregates
of three (3) different percentages, and they are 0%, 25% and 50% of RCA replacement although the water cement
ratio were fixed as 0.45. As WPSA contains higher percentage of silicon dioxide (SiO 2), it may provide extra
strength to the concrete. This project will attempt to assess the design parameters of concrete on inclusion of WPSA
as partial replacement of cement. In addition, the concrete mixture was made may assist to overcome the problem of
sludge disposal, recycle aggregates, and enhance the properties of concrete.
MATERIALS
Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) type I 43 grade confining to BS EN 196-1:2005 [6] was used throughout the
work and obtained from Tasek Corporation Berhad, Malaysia. WPSA collected from the combustion of waste paper
MIX DESIGN
In the concrete mix, WPSA been used as cementations material with partially replace of Portland cement. The
mixture consists of concrete cubes with a percentage of the WPSA, OPC, normal coarse aggregates, fine aggregates,
coarse RCA with the maximum size of 20 mm, as well as the water content in the concrete. Instead, the WPSA
WPSA was added in the mixture regarding as a fibrous admixture. Prior to adding to the concrete mixture, a
blending process was conducted on distributing the lumps of WPSA with water by electrical mixer for a better
mixing effect.
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TABLE 1. A typical Chemical Compositions of WPSA and Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC)
Oxide Composition (% w/w)
SiO2 Al2O3 Fe2O3 TiO2 MgO CaO Na2O K2O P2O5 MnO SO3 LOI
WPSA
23.3 5.3 0.8 0.5 2.5 62.4 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.6 4.5
[9]
OPC 21.3 5.6 3.4 0.1 2.1 64.6 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 2.1 0.6
TABLE 2 presents the mix proportions for concrete mixtures, and various incorporating percentages for RCA
and WPSA were considered in this study to evaluate the effect of those materials on the performance of concrete
mixtures. For each mix at least three specimens were casted and a total of 108 cubes of concrete mix were made.
The concrete mix proportion is a mixture of all proportions by percentages of RCA (0, 25 and 50%), to the total
coarse aggregate by weight, and four different percentages of WPSA, 0, 5, 10, and 15%, to the total weight of the
mixture were considered. In all the concrete mixtures, cement contents were limited in order to control the ultimate
strength of the mixtures within excavatable capabilities. The control mix was made with grade C25 of concrete with
no addition of RCA and water-to-cement ratio was kept at 0.45 for all mixtures.
TABLE 2. Mix proportion for 0%, 25% and 50% RCA with WPSA
WPSA Normal Natural
RCA WPSA OPC RCA
Mix Content 3 3 3 Aggregates sand
(%) (kg/m ) (kg/m ) (kg/m )
(%) (kg/m3) (kg/m3)
M1 0 0 470.0 - 1140 540
M2 5 0 23.5 446.5 - 1140 540
M3 10 47.0 423.0 - 1140 540
M4 15 70.5 399.5 - 1140 540
LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS
Concrete mixtures were prepared based on the mix proportion in TABLE 2. The concrete mixtures were mixed
with drum mixer and specimens were cast using steel mould, the standard size of cube (100x100x100 mm) moulds
and cylinders (100 mm diameter x 200 mm height) and compacted with table vibrator. The specimens were
demoulded 24 hours after casting and stored (water cured) under conditions that maintain the temperature
immediately adjacent to the cubes in the range of 16°C to 17°C until the age of testing at 7, 14 and 28 days.
Standard slump tests referring to BS EN 12350-2 [9], were conducted to investigate the workability of the concrete.
The preparation and testing procedures are in accordance with the specification BS EN 12350-2 [10]. Basically, the
purpose of the compression test is to check the material strength to an uniaxial compressive load. The compressive
strength is measured by crushing specimens such as the concrete cube in compression test machine. Hence, the
Compression test is believed to be a suitable method to estimate the flow characteristic of ductile and plastic
material limitations. The compression test will be conducted on the specimen after the specimens ended their curing
process, which is after 7, 14 and 28 days of hardening phase. Water absorption test was conducted according to
ASTM C 1403 [11] at 28 days. The cubes were dried in an oven at 110°C for 24 hours and then cooled before were
tested.
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EXPERIMENTAL TEST RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
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subjected to stress. All mix 25kN/m2 50% RCA concretes were stronger at 28 days than their natural aggregate
concrete counterparts, and their 28 day strengths exceeded the target 28 days strength up to 29.6kN/m 2.
RCA is a major negative impact on the compressive strength of the concrete, as evident in FIGURE 3. The
concrete with and without RCA provided the compressive strength are almost the same, except for 25% of RCA.
RCA concrete with 25% provided that a lower compressive strength of concrete control, especially at 28 days.
However, a reduction in 28-day compressive strength observed in this study was 3.12% compared with the control
concrete. Similar findings have been reported in the case of normal workability of RCA concrete [15, 16, and 17].
While RCA is lower than the NCA as a porous surface caused by the cement paste complied with, it did not
significantly reduce the compressive strength of concrete. This is because the bond interface between the aggregate
and the cement paste of RCA [18, 19]. In addition, a better interlocking of aggregates can be obtained because of
shape of RCA (angular). Both effects can contribute to offsetting the increase in compressive strength as RCA
strong enough. It is clear that RCA is greater than the angle of NCA. Also, the visual inspection revealed that the
RCA aggregates have a greater surface roughness of the NCA (see FIGURE 3). Both of these properties are
conducive to the compressive strength of concrete. However, the disadvantage RCA as porous cement paste
complied with the ruling of the surface roughness and angularity at 25% RCA, thus showing a decrease in the
compressive strength of concrete. In addition, reduced grading RCA contribute to lower compressive strength with
physical packaging suggests lower workability concrete.
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(a) 0% RCA (control)
The percentage of water absorption was measured for each concrete specimen and it gave indirect measure of
durability. Reduction of water absorption can greatly enhance the long-term performance and service life of concrete
in aggressive service environments. Water absorption test was carried out for all mixtures and percentage water
absorption was measured. Water absorption of concrete is observed to be significantly increased with increase with
introduction of WPSA as partial replacement for cement in all percentage of RCA mixes. Use of WPSA as of voids
in concrete. The result of higher volume of paste is noticed as the mixture containing the lower volume of aggregate
which has the higher absorption [21]. Statistical analysis indicated the significant effect of WPSA towards reduction
of water absorption and reduction of the volume of voids. It should be noted that the void content test used here
measures the volumes of both continuous and discontinuous pores in concrete. Unlike continuous pores, the
presence of discontinuous pores in hydrated cement paste is not detrimental to the water absorption and thus
durability of concrete. Such pores, however, results in reduction of concrete strength. The lowest water absorption
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because of the lower porosity, but not like RCA that has the greater porosity wish allow aggregates to obtain water
in the pore than natural aggregate as shown in TABLE 3.
The increase of % RCA has higher water absorption and lower specific gravity [3]. As the absorption of RCA
decreased from 0.93% to 0.11%, the compressive strength increases accordingly. The same reduction in 28 days for
concrete with RCA content of 50% and 15% replacement ratio WPSA is 1.5% of the WPSA-10% (absorption:
1.33%), 5% of the WPSA (absorption: 1.55%) respectively.
Partial replacement of cement with WPSA is observed to produce an increase in the bulk density (dry) and the
CONCLUSIONS
A series of experiment tests were conducted to examine the utilization of industrial waste (WPSA and RCA) as
effective way to produce sustainable concrete. According to the test results, the following conclusions could be
drawn:
5% replacement of cement by WPSA with RCA of 50% and water cement ratio of 0.45 showed optimum
compressive strength development as represented to normal mix concrete set with grade C25.
Cement in concrete can be replaced by WPSA up to 5% by weight showing 15% increase in compressive
strength at 28 days.
Concrete mix workability increases with the decrease in WPSA content.
With decrease in WPSA content, mean weight increases for mixture with 15% WPSA content and all
percentage of RCA thus making concrete light weight.
The use of WPSA as partial replacement for cement is estimated to effectively overcome the limitations of
recycled aggregate higher water absorption towards production of recycled aggregate concrete.
Strength and physical quality of concrete mix with WPSA blended cement and RCA can be obtained by
measuring its compressive strength.
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The application of the WPSA in concrete will conserve the natural resources that are used for the
manufacturing of cement and hence make the concrete construction industry more sustainable and greener
concrete can be achieved with the use of RCA in concrete.
Different concrete strength can be fulfilled with the dissimilarity in proportions of the coarse aggregates,
RCA and WPSA.
RCA usage in concrete can prove to be inexpensive as it is undesirable material that can be obtained freely
without cost.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors would like to express an acknowledgement to the Faculty of Civil Engineering, UiTM Pulau Pinang,
Malaysia, for providing the facilities and their support to accomplish this study. The author also thanks the
Malaysian Newsprint Industries Sdn Bhd for the permission to take the material primarily used in this research. The
work reported here was financially supported by the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS), MOHE's (No.
FRGS/1/2014/TK08/UITM/03/3) and Institute of Research, Development and Comercialization, Universiti
Teknologi Mara, Malaysia.
REFERENCES
1. Malaysian Newsprint Industries (MNI). Report of reuse of MNI fly ash for cement manufacturing. (1999).
2. Mohd Ridzuan, A. R., Fauzi, M. A., Ghazali, E., Arshad, M. F., and Mohd Fauzi, M. A. “Strength
assessment of controlled low strength materials (CLSM) utilizing recycled concrete aggregate and waste
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17. Rasheeduzzafar, I. B. and Khan, A. “Recycled concrete - a source of new concrete. ASTM Cement,
Concrete and Aggregates. 6(1), 17-27 (1984).
18. Tabsh, S.W. and Abdelfatah, A. S. “Influence of recycled concrete aggregates on strength properties of
concrete”. Construction and Building Materials, 23(2):1163-1167 (2009).
19. Sagoe-Crentsil, K. K., Brown, T. and Taylor, A. H. “Performance of concrete made with commercially
produced coarse recycled concrete aggregate”. Cement and Concrete Research, 31(5), 707-712 (2001).
20. Neville, A. M. “Properties of concrete” (4th Edition). (1996). Longman Group Ltd, London.
21. Castro, J., Bentz, D. and Weiss, J. “Effect of sample conditioning on the water absorption of concrete”.
Cement and Concrete Composites, 33(8) 805–813. (2011).
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