Compressive Behaviour of Reinforced Concrete Columns Using Recycled Building Glass Instead of Sand Aggregate in Concrete

Exploring alternative aggregates or recycled aggregates to substitute traditional concrete aggregates, particularly sand aggregates, which are becoming more limited and must comply with environmental protection standards, is essential. Research has explored various alternative materials to sand in concrete, including concrete from demolished buildings, and broken glass from projects, among others. Investigating the use of recycled broken glass to substitute sand aggregates and implementing this research in compression columns is crucial. This paper examines the compressive behavior of reinforced concrete columns that utilize recycled glass particles as a substitute for sand in concrete. The research findings establish the relationships: load and vertical displacement, load and deformation at the column head, mid-column, and column base; the formation and propagation of cracks in the column, while considering factors such as the percentage of recycled glass, the arrangement of stirrups, and the amount of load-bearing steel influencing the performance of square reinforced concrete columns under compression. The feasibility of using recycled glass as a substitute for sand in column structures subjected to compression has been demonstrated, with the ideal replacement content for sand aggregate in reinforced concrete columns in this study ranging from 0% to 10%. The column’s load-bearing ability dropped from 250 kN to 150 kN when 100% recycled glass was used instead of sand. This is a 40% drop, and cracks started to show up sooner. The research will support recycling broken glass instead of using sand in building, improving the environment and reducing natural sand use.