Experimental Investigation on Physical and Mechanical Properties of Polyethylene Terephthalate Plastic Brick

Brick is a primary building material that is frequently used in masonry construction, but recently, many studies have focused on the use of based material as alternative material to a conventional brick. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic is used in current studies to manufacture plastic bricks in powdered form as a recycled material. However, this study aims to evaluate the mechanical and visual investigation of plastic in a standard size of 200 × 100 × 100 mm PET brick. This study mainly focuses on the exclusion of the pollution from the environment due to PET plastic brick by converting waste plastic in the production of conventional brick for construction. PET was mixed with laterite soil at 5, 10, and 15% with XRF analysis of the required constituent of soil being added. The burned clay brick after 7th and 21th day which the sample was tested for compressive strength, fire resistance, water absorption, impact, soundness, efflorescence, and hardness tests. In comparison with conventional brick, the manufactured bricks have good heat resistance and smooth finishing, negligible water absorption, and adequate compressive strength to meet the increased demand for traditional construction materials.