PERFORMANCE CHARACTERIZATION OF WASTE POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE MODIFIED MORTAR AND CONCRETE: A REVIEW

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to present a state-of-the-art review of recent studies on performance properties of concrete and mortar production using waste plastic with a view to identifying areas of further improvement. Design/methodology/approach: The method relies on literature review on application of plastics in concrete and mortar production. Papers employed for the study were majorly gathered from online repositories of Google Scholar, Elsevier and Taylor and Francis publishers. Findings: The study found that waste plastics have been successfully incorporated into concrete and mortar production at various modes and levels of applications as aggregates, fibres, binding agent and as an encapsulate in eco-bricks production. Also, strength performance of plastic modified concrete and mortar are considerably reported in contemporary literature but studies on determination of life span of building components produced with waste plastics are currently not available. Practical implication: The application of waste plastics as an alternative material for the production of concrete and mortar with special mix design would help reduce and partly prevent the environmental nuisance caused by plastic waste. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the understanding of concrete and mortar production using plastic waste as an alternative material from a state-of-the-art-review perspective, to the knowledge on the modes and level of waste plastic application in concrete and mortar production, and to the identification of knowledge gap in contemporary studies.