Comparing the Properties of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Plastic Bricks to Conventional Concrete Masonry Units
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2020
Abstract
This paper investigates the viability of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bricks as a replacement for concrete masonry units as a building material. The underlying goal is to validate the pursuit of production and testing of recycled PET bricks. Recycled plastic bricks have the potential to divert valuable post-consumer plastic waste from landfills, locking up this plastic for decades to come. A comparison of the material properties, as well as the greater societal impacts, of virgin PET and concrete comprise this study. The compressive strengths of the two materials are compared using both published data and a computational analysis. The toxic substances released during production and post-production of concrete and PET are examined, to gain a deeper understanding of the overall impact these materials have on human health.
Publication Title
2020 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC)
DOI
10.1109/GHTC46280.2020.9342915
Recommended Citation
Laura Marsiglio, Susan Cheng, Elizabeth Falk, Andrew Fugh, Kelly Mulvaney, Brian G. Slocum, Donald Morris, Ganesh Balasubramanian & Khanjan Mehta,
Comparing the Properties of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Plastic Bricks to Conventional Concrete Masonry Units,
2020 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC)
(2020).
Available at:
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/facultyarticles/354
