The Effect of 0.8% Polyethylene Terephthalate Plastic Waste Substitution on the Flexural Strength on K-175 Concrete

Abstract

The use of plastics in daily life continues to increase in a variety of uses. One of the most commonly used plastic that is difficult to decompose is Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) plastic. In recent years, such as the construction industry, has been trying to reuse the waste as construction material. Therefore, this research aims to contribute by exploring the effect of PET plastic fiber substitution as fine aggregate on the flexural strength of concrete. PET plastic fibers were used at 0.8% as partial replacement of fine aggregates and then chopped to a size of 5 cm long, 1-3 mm wide. The test results indicate that concrete containing 0.8% PET plastic fiber as a substitution of fine aggregate has a higher flexural strength value of 4.32% which is better than normal concrete. Therefore, using recycled PET fiber in concrete is needed as an eco-friendly and sustainable construction material in the future in order to minimize PET plastic waste and replace it as a concrete constituent material.