Waste glass as a supplementary cementitious material in concrete – Critical review of treatment methods

Concrete is the most widely used construction material and, for the most part, is produced using non-renewable natural resources and energy intensive processes which emit greenhouse gasses. There exists an opportunity to improve the sustainability of this industry by further exploring the use of alternative materials. As an aggregate, glass bottle waste has faced specific challenges including bond, ASR gel production, and strength degradation of the concrete. This paper reviews the literature pertaining to incorporating waste glass into concrete as a supplementary cementing material. Pozzolanic properties of waste glass as an SCM and ASR are related to particle size and percent addition. Lithium additives control ASR expansion; however, the mechanism of this control has yet to be defined.