Alfred University leads research in developing concrete fortified with recycled glass

Alfred University, in partnership with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and U.S.-based company Silica-X, is studying ways to develop a concrete fortified with waste glass particles that can stand up to the rigors of a marine environment better than traditional cement material.

Silica-X, which specializes in experimental glass, plans to place slabs made of concrete similar to those fashioned by ancient Romans and place them in the ocean to test the material’s durability. Structures—such as seawalls and bridges—made from Roman concrete have been shown to withstand seawater erosion, lasting for several centuries. Similar structures made from portland cement-based concrete can decay within 30 years.

Two years ago, Alfred University received $1.7 million from the state’s Environmental Protection Fund to research ways to reuse waste glass products. The university administers state funding, which supports recycling initiatives by private companies like Silica-X.

Alfred University researchers, including glass science faculty and graduate students, assist the companies in developing their glass recycling projects. One of the goals of the glass sustainability program is to develop new “sinks,” or products that make use of recycled glass.

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Collin Wilkinson, professor of glass science at Alfred University’s Inamori School of Engineering, says he and his colleagues are studying the properties of novel glass-based concrete to ensure it functions well. Researchers at Alfred University and Silica-X are looking into ways that glass waste materials can be used in place of traditional pozzolans (finely powdered material which can be added to mortar as a strengthening agent) to create a cement that has similar durability in a marine environment.

University of Utah geology professor Marie Jackson is working with Silica-X to develop the new form of Roman concrete, which is based on her research. If scientists are successful in creating an effective iteration of the material fortified with glass, the environmental benefits will be significant. Cement is a major contributor to greenhouse gasses worldwide and by using alternative materials, such as waste glass, this novel cement should be less harmful to the environment, researchers say.

Once researchers have developed the modern form of Roman concrete, it will be fashioned into cubes, which will be placed in the ocean and monitored over a two-year period to assess the material’s durability. If the material holds up well, it could be used to build new, longer-lasting sea walls around the world.

“If this works, it will remove a significant amount of glass from the waste stream,” Wilkinson says, pointing to the volume of sea wall construction needed to protect the world’s shorelines. “This will provide a whole lot of affordable sea wall, which the world desperately needs. [Sea walls made from Roman-style concrete] will last much longer, save a ton of money and limit the amount of glass waste.”