Mechanical and basic deformation properties of mortar with recycled glass as a fine aggregate replacement

As a result of the large quantities of glass residues being generated, research is currently underway for efficient, economic and eco-friendly alternatives, among them the incorporation of recycled glass in mortar as a substitute for natural sand; this work has researched and studied recycled glass substitutions of 0, 15, 30, 60 and 100 %. A basic characterization of both sands was carried out with the aim of comparing both materials (granulometric profiles, density and absorption). Compressive and flexural strength were studied with regard to the mechanical behavior of the mortar in question; regarding deformation, the basic, drying and total shrinkage were determined. The results of the research show that the recycled glass sands are less dense than the standard sand used, and the latter has a higher absorption coefficient. With regard to compressive and flexural strength, the mortars with recycled glass reported lower resistance than the natural sand mortars, with the 15 % recycled glass combination being the closest to the natural mortar. On the other hand, in the case of deformation due to drying shrinkage (the most significant), the recycled mortars showed even more favorable results than the natural mortar; the 100 % glass content had the lowest shrinkage rate in the experimental phase. The study concludes that mortars with 15 % recycled sand may feasibly be used in applications with low mechanical requirements, with their low rates of shrinkage deformation being an additional advantage.Postprint (author's final draft