EFFECT OF E-WASTE IN THE STRENGTH OF CONCRETE

Abstract

In the present scenario no construction activity can be imagined without using concrete. Concrete is the most
widely used building material in construction industry. The main reason behind its popularity is its high strength and
durability. Today, the world is advancing too fast and our environment is changing progressively. Attention is being
focused on the environment and safeguarding of natural resources and recycling of wastes materials. One of the new
waste materials used in the concrete industry is E-waste. New electrical and electronic products have become an integral
part of our daily lives providing us with more comfort, security, easy and faster acquisition. Due to technological growth,
there is a high rate of obsolescence in the electronic equipments which leads to one of the fastest growing waste streams
in the world. This waste stream consists of end of life electrical and electronic equipment products.
For solving the disposal of large amount of E-waste material, reuse of E-waste in concrete industry is considered as
the most feasible application. E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world. In developed countries,
previously it was about 1% of total solid waste generation and currently it grows to 2% by 210. In developing countries,
it ranges 0.01% to 1% of the total municipal solid waste generation. Owing to the scarcity of coarse aggregate for the
preparation of concrete, partial replacement of E-waste with coarse was attempted. The work was conducted on M30
grade mix. In this work, the percentage of various replacement levels of coarse aggregate with E-waste in the range of
0%, 10%, 15%, and 20%. Finally the mechanical properties of the concrete mix specimens obtained from the addition of
these materials are compared with that obtained by using control concrete mix.