Performance of Glass Concrete Subjected to Freeze-Thaw Cycling

This article reports the potential use of waste glass powder (GP) to improve the performance of concrete subjected to freeze-thaw (FT) cycling. Three GP contents were utilized in the study: 6%, 12%, and 18% by weight of cement. The other experimental parameters that were investigated in the study include: water to cement ratio (0.4 and 0.6) and aggregate type (limestone and tuff). Concrete prisms were exposed to accelerated FT cycles following ASTM Procedure B (rapid freezing in air and thawing in water). The FT damage of concrete prisms was evaluated using the relative dynamic modulus of elasticity and durability factor of concrete prisms.

The results of the study showed that the performance of GP concrete to FT damage was found higher than that of plain concrete. Additionally, the performance of concrete was increased with the increase of the GP level. The GP concrete with w/c ratio of 0.4 showed higher durability to FT damage than the GP concrete with w/c ratio of 0.6. The concrete containing tuff aggregate showed higher resistance to FT damage than the concrete containing limestone aggregate. The impact of w/c ratio and aggregate type on the durability of concrete to FT deterioration is more pronounced for GP concrete than for plain concrete.