Elaboración de bloques no estructurales a base de mortero con polímeros PET

Abstract

Plastic pollution on the planet has increased in the last decades, so that nowadays millions of tons of waste reach our oceans, altering the marine flora and fauna. Also, a large amount of plastic waste is thrown into streams, rivers and lakes, seriously altering the ecosystem. In the city of Cuenca alone, according to EMAC EP data, 123.58 tons of inorganic waste were collected in 2019, of which 59.30% is classified as usable material. Of the total collected, 19.32% (23.88 tons) corresponds to soft and rigid plastic. Based on this background, the possibility of reusing certain inorganic wastes, in this case PET polymers, in the manufacture of blocks for non-structural masonry has been proposed. These will replace a percentage of coarse aggregates. For this reason, different tests were carried out to know the raw material and thus find the ideal dosage to produce non-structural blocks that comply with current Ecuadorian regulations. The blocks that met the minimum net resistance to simple compression, lower density and percentage of water absorption, and manufacturing cost, were those made with a PET content of 50%, making them optimal for use in construction. In addition, since they are made with lightweight elements, these blocks have a great advantage in terms of density. This contributes to reduce the dead loads of the masonry to the structure of the building.