Evaluating Polycarbonate Waste Ash in Concrete

By using 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% PC waste ash as fractional substitutes for cement in concrete, the purpose of this research was to analyse and assess the qualities of fresh, physical, and hardened concrete, as shown in Table 2. This was accomplished by using biomedical waste ash as a partial substitute for cement in concrete. Sixty different shapes of concrete were cast, including cubes, cylinders, and prisms. The mix ratio was M25, and the water-to-cement ratio (w/c) was 0.45. Following the casting process, each specimen was placed in a curing tank for 7 or 28 days before being evaluated using a universal testing machine (UTM)^{25 (link)}. In accordance with the procedure outlined in the ASTM C 192 code, the specimens were cast in the form of standard cubes measuring 100 mm on one side, cylinders measuring 100 mm in diameter and 200 mm in height, and prisms measuring 100 mm on one side and measuring 500 mm in length. The compressive, split tensile, and flexural strengths of this concrete were determined using the specimens. Moreover, the density and water absorption of the concrete specimens were examined after 28 days. For each ratio, three different concrete specimens were cast, and the final result was averaged to determine the effectiveness^{16 (link)}. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis were conducted on the concrete samples to characterize the microstructure and chemical composition. A cost analysis was performed by calculating and comparing the costs of raw materials for conventional concrete and 20% polycarbonate waste ash concrete mixes. The market rates for cement, aggregates and waste ash were used for the estimation^{6 (link)}.Table 2

Concrete mixes prepared with the control and different percentages of ash.

Sl. no	Material replacement	Cement %	Polycarbonate waste %	Fine and coarse aggregate %	Mix ratio	W/C ratio
1	0% Polycarbonate waste ash	100	0	100	1:1.96:3.03	0.45
2	5% Polycarbonate waste ash	95	5	100	1:1.96:3.03	0.45
3	10% Polycarbonate waste ash	90	10	100	1:1.96:3.03	0.45
4	15% Polycarbonate waste ash	85	15	100	1:1.96:3.03	0.45
5	20% Polycarbonate waste ash	80	20	100	1:1.96:3.03	0.45
6	25% Polycarbonate waste ash	75	25	100	1:1.96:3.03	0.45