Compressive strength and cost analysis of concrete hollow blocks with upcycled plastics as replacement for choker aggregates

This study was conducted to test the compressive strength of concrete hollow blocks (CHBs) prepared from four treatments, with 0%, 1%, 2%, and 3% proportion of upcycled plastics as partial replacement to choker aggregates, find out which proportion is the most acceptable in terms of compressive strength, and ascertain the economic cost of CHBs for each proportion. Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was utilized where the four proportions with upcycled plastics were replicated three times and cured in 28 days. The Universal Testing Machine (UTM) was utilized to test the CHBs compressive strength. Results showed that the control treatment had comparable features with the other treatments. It got the highest mean unit weight and compressive strength while Treatment C had the lowest in both aspects. Since the minimum standard compressive strength for CHBs is 1.50 MPa, the control and all treatments passed the standard compressive strength. However, the control treatment was the most acceptable of the four proportions having the highest compressive strength. As to cost, the CHBs prepared with 0% upcycled plastics had the lowest price, with Treatment C getting the highest expense value. With these findings, it can be deduced that the properties of CHBs are affected by the different proportions of aggregates used as mixture substitutes.