Characterization of waste-glass as mortar fine aggregate

Waste glass is one of the most solid pollutants from industrial and civilian uses, which are contaminated by some hazard substances. So, it is very important to reuse these wastes for reducing the pollution created from accumulation of several tons of these materials. The utilization of soda lime silica glass which is the most commercially glass used as fine aggregate in some blended cement mortars was studied. Different percentages of glass grains with similar grain sizes were used instead of sand in preparation of mortars made from ordinary portland cement. The characteristics of prepared mortars and cement glass bond were investigated by determination of compressive strength and bulk density. The hydration kinetics of cement mortars was evaluated by determination of free lime and chemically combined water contents as well as the change of pH values of hydration media. The results show that the bulk density and the compressive strength values gradually decrease with increasing of glass substituted content and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) used. The chemically combined water as well as free lime contents shows that there is some of pozzolanic activity of glass as alkali-activated aggregate to be used in some selected mortars as a base for lightweight concrete.