Design and development of light weight porous matrix using industrial waste

Abstract

The aim of the current study is to optimise the composite mixture of fly ash, rubber waste and Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC)for the design and development of a light weight porous matrix. The composite matrices have been evaluated based on the engineering properties consisting of compressive strength, density, open porosity (VR%) and water-material ratio (WM%). The Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) is used for the observation of the microstructure of cement, tyre rubber granules, fly ash and the optimized composite matrix. The compressive strength and density decrease with the increasing quantity of waste tyre rubber granules in the matrix, whereas the porosity of the matrix enhances. Since, the rubber granules act like voids in the composite matrix, results into the development of light weight porous matrix, which is also confirmed by SEM analysis. The study confirms the usability of the composite matrix aslow-cost partition walls or low load bearing structures. The utilization of the waste material reduces the land requirement for huge disposal site as well as reduces the carbon footprint due to the reduced utilization of cement. The composite matrix can be further utilized through proper design mix with additional construction materials such as fine and coarse aggregate to broaden the applications horizon in civil and environmental engineering.