The Use of Plastic Waste as Subtitute for Coarse Aggregate of Concrete

Abstract

Many waste materials are produced from manufacturing processes, service industries, and municipal solid waste, one of which is plastic waste. Plastic consumption from year to year is increasing uncontrollably. The amount of use is getting higher every year because of the high population density that affects the use of plastic, especially in Indonesia. The very rapid increase in the amount of plastic waste is not balanced with the slow natural plastic decomposition process because it takes a long time. Various actions are taken to reduce the amount of plastic waste, one of which is using plastic as a construction material as a supporting structure that does not require high quality. Plastics that have durable and elastic properties are expected to create environmentally friendly materials. From the four variations, the highest compressive strength was recorded for a variation of 30% substitution of PET plastic aggregate which met the requirements of normal concrete, while 40%, 60%, and 70% entered into low-strength concrete. The compressive strength decreases with increasing plastic variation because the slippery surface of the plastic stone is not able to bind cement, as well as the density of concrete which is below normal concrete requirements. The lightness of plastic affects the weight of the concrete which continues to decrease as the amount of plastic in it and the reduction of stone aggregates.