Performance of Engineered Cementitious Composite Incorporating Recycled Glass as Aggregate

Engineered cementitious composites (ECC) are capable of exhibiting higher strain capacity which is several times that of conventional concrete. The micromechanics design on which ECC is based requires that coarse aggregates to be eliminated and a special type of fine aggregate which is called ultrafine silica sand to be used. The use of this micro-silica sand (MSS) in ECC mixtures is one of the major challenges facing the large-scale application of this composite due to its high cost. Also, as MSS is not locally available everywhere, its processing and transportation to construction sites result in carbon emissions into the environment. This ultimately leads to an increase in the overall embodied carbon of the composite. Therefore, the use of alternative local and/or recycled materials as aggregates in ECC will help to eliminate or reduce this detrimental effect of the production of ECC on the environment. This study was conducted to explore the potential of using recycled glass beads as aggregates in engineered cementitious composites (ECC), with the aim of enhancing their sustainability. Glass beads were tested as a partial or complete substitute for micro-silica sand (MSS) in ECC mixtures, and the composite’s performance was evaluated. The results revealed that incorporating glass beads into ECC improved its long-term performance. Additionally, under high alkali and temperature conditions, ECC containing glass beads did not exhibit any instance of the alkali-silica reaction.