Recyclying plastics for economical housing

GAGGINO ROSANA; ARGUELLO RICARDO

Bath, Reino Unido

Conferencia; 11º Conferencia Internacional de Tecnologías No-convencionales – NOCMAT 2009; 2009

Architect & Civil Engineering Department, Universidad de Bath

The search for “new materials” to manufacture building elements for economical housing is the aim of this work. These materials are the following recycled plastics: - Low-density polyethylene (LDPE), recycled out of discarded soft drink packs. - Polyethylene-terephthalate (PET), recycled out of discarded soft drink bottles. - Several plastics, from the printed films used like packages of candies (remainder of production plant by faults in the thickness of the films or in the inked process of them). These conveniently grounded plastics were taken as “arids” to be mixed with Normal Portland cement, replacing heavy sand and gravel habitually used in these mixtures. These materials are used in constructive elements such as bricks, blocks and plates for economical houses closures or traditional construction. The developed constructive elements offer high thermal insulation, so they can be used in closures with a smaller thickness than conventional bricks and blocks. Besides, they have a lower specific weight than these traditional constructive elements. Recycling means lowering costs, making part of the environment contaminating waste useful and providing the unemployed and/or unqualified work force with jobs through uncomplicated technologies.  Therefore, this recycling technology has an economic as well as an ecological purpose.