Mechanical performance of cement mortar with clear glass waste powder as a partial sand replacement

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title>
<jats:p>This research addresses Malaysia’s glass waste predicament, primarily stemming from discarded glass bottles in the food and beverage sector. Typically consigned to landfills, these bottles not only occupy valuable space but also deplete essential resources like siliceous sand crucial for glass production. To combat this environmental issue, the study explores the viability of repurposing waste glass as a construction material. By processing the waste glass to match sand’s size distribution, it is incorporated into cement mortar. The investigation assesses the fresh and hardened properties of cement mortar, including density, flow spread diameter, and various strengths. Analysis of parameters, such as the cement/sand/water ratio, and the extent of glass waste replacement, reveals that 100 % replacement of sand with glass waste powder yields the highest strengths, notably in compressive, splitting tensile, and flexural tests. Maintaining a cement/sand/water ratio of 1:5:1.24 achieves a 7 MPa compressive strength at 28 days and a 200 mm spread diameter in the flow table test. The study concludes that increasing glass waste replacement enhances cement mortar strengths, providing a sustainable solution to Malaysia’s glass waste issue and enhancing construction materials like bricks and concrete products.</jats:p>