The Role of Glass Powder in Strength and Durability Improvement of Concrete

The cement industry is one of the prime sources of carbon dioxide diffusion that causes global warming by releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere Therefore, many researchers tend to replace the proportions of cement in concrete with other materials such as waste glass powder. This study investigates the use of waste glass powder as a partial replacement for cement in concrete production. The glass powder, with a particle size range of 90–63 µm, was incorporated at three different substitution levels: 10%, 15%, and 20%. The workability, compressive strength, and split tensile strength of the concrete were evaluated. Additionally, durability was assessed by subjecting the concrete cubes to direct fire at 400°C for two hours. The results indicate that replacing cement with waste glass powder leads to a decrease in workability as the glass content increases. Both compressive and splitting tensile strengths showed a significant enhancement with higher glass content. the mix with 20% glass powder demonstrated the most promising performance, offering a good balance between mechanical strength and durability. Based on these findings, the study concludes that 20% glass powder can serve as a viable alternative to cement, providing an environmentally friendly concrete mix with satisfactory performance.