Transparent Concrete Concept by Replacing Fine Aggregate of Waste Glass by Using Admixture in Optical Fibre
Transparent Concrete Concept by Replacing Fine Aggregate of Waste Glass by Using Admixture in Optical Fibre
Transparent Concrete Concept by Replacing Fine Aggregate of Waste Glass by Using Admixture in Optical Fibre
1
Professor & Dean, Department of Civil Engineering, VMKV Engineering College, Vinayaka Mission’s Research Foundation
(Deemed to be University), Salem, TamilNadu,India.
2
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, VMKV Engineering College, Vinayaka Mission’s Research Foundation
(Deemed to be University), Salem, TamilNadu,India.
3,4,5
UG Students, Department of Civil Engineering, VMKV Engineering College, Vinayaka Mission’s Research Foundation
(Deemed to be University), Salem, TamilNadu,India.
Abstract: Concrete is a homogeneous mixture making a single view. Concrete has become attractive and dynamic and is
product. Transparent concrete is a concrete based building no longer the cold, grey and heavy material. By advanced
material with light-Transmitting properties due to embedded study and innovation, newly developed concrete has been
light optical elements usually Optical fibres. This concrete can created as lightweight concrete, concrete with high resistant
also be used for aesthetic application by applying the optical and white or coloured concrete, etc.
fibres in concrete. There are different types of fibres used in
concrete for increasing the strength aspect and durability.
Optical fibres are one which helps for transmission of light The main aim of transparent concrete is to produce
through fibre. In our project, the end-lite type of fibre is used to transparency and its objective of application connect it to
increase the aesthetic appearance of the concrete. The concept green technology and artistic finish. It is the “combination
of transparent concrete can also be used for light transmission of optical fibres and fine concrete”. Currently, green
in the wall panel which is exposed to direct sun light which structures focus largely on energy saving with indoor
transmit the image but not completely transparent. This type of thermal systems. Therefore, it is important to produce a
concrete can be installed at a very low cost and increasing the new functional material to satisfy the structure in terms of
visual appeal. The application can be used in decorating the safety monitoring (such as damage detection, fire warning),
interior of a hall or lobby and the ceiling to glow in dark by
protection from environment, energy saving and artistic
external lighting source and during day time the concrete glows
by the light transmission from natural resource. The prototype modelling. The use of non- renewable energy sources is
study is made and the concrete is made decorative and durable increased as the space between the buildings are reduced
also. In the present study, the mix design of M40 concrete is due to the construction of high-rise buildings, thus smart
adopted. Optical fibres are reinforced in to the concrete by 5% construction technique like green building and indoor
and 10% based on surface area. Different tests like Compressive thermal system becomes essential.
strength test, split tensile strength, Flexural strength test were Transparent concrete blocks are adapted in furniture for
carried on the specimen. The results evidently show that as the decorative purpose even for staircase, partition wall where
percentage of optical fibre increases the strength also increases. natural light does not reach with required quantity, dark
subway to increase the range of vision, lighting sidewalks
Keywords: Transparent Concrete, Waste Glass, at night time, etc. Transparent concrete is new technique
Admixture, Optical Fibre not same as normal concrete. Transparent concrete is a
lightweight concrete compared to conventional concrete.
1. INTRODUCTION The main objective of transparent concrete is to use
Concrete has been used since Roman times for the sunlight as the light source instead of electrical energy in
development of infrastructure and housing, but its basic order to reduce the load on non- renewable sources and to
components have remained the same. Coarse aggregate, develop energy saving material. Due to the addition of
like stones or gravel; fine aggregate, such as sand; and optical glass fibres in the concrete, light can be transmitted
cement, a fine powder material are the three ingredients from inside out or outside in. Transparent concrete has the
that make up the dry mix that unite together when water is same strength as regular concrete and continues light to
added.In 1960s, due to rapid urbanization concrete was travel through walls up to twenty meters (twenty-two feet)
often misinterpreted and disapproved by its image. But thick.
since that time, concrete has made worthwhile progress, in
both technical terms and aesthetic terms. Concrete is a chief Modern construction industry calls for a more innovative
material in construction and gives strength considerably, comprehensive materials in line with the past developing
beside strength concrete can also be used for aesthetical hands of construction. The thought of all these creative
is very essential to reduce the artificial light consumption in Ceilings can be made up of this concrete, thus
structure. saving electricity cost and providing scattered
light.
Light transmitting concrete allows natural sunlight or any It can be used to make speed breakers and road
light to pass through it, thus increasing the natural light marking by providing light source beneath it and
content in the building to enhance optical activity. It Light transmitting block over it.
reduces electricity consumption in the buildings and makes Sidewalks can also be constructed with light
it easier for buildings to achieve higher LEED (Leadership source beneath it which will provide scenic view
in energy and environmental design) rating. Thus reduces as well light during night.
the dependence on artificial sources. In subways and airports it can be added as guiding
mark as well as safety mark during time of
Transparent concrete is a concrete-based building material darkness.
with light-Transmissive properties due to embedded light It can be used for making different decorative
optical elements i.e. plastic optical fibres. Light is shapes such as book shelves, outer home
conducted through the concrete from one end to the other. boundary, statues etc.
Therefore the fibres have to go through the whole object. Translucent walls should be installed in museum,
Transparent concrete is also known as the translucent prison cell, and schools thus providing way to
concrete and light transmitting concrete because of its vigilance along with safety.
properties. It is used in fine architecture as a facade
material and for cladding of interior walls. 1.5 Compressive Strength of Light Transmitting
Concrete
Light transmitting concrete is made up of cement, fine Compressive strength is most important property for any
aggregates, coarse aggregates and optical fibres, placed in material that is intended to be used for construction. Any
alternate layers. It is based on the principle of total internal material cannot be used for construction until it satisfies the
reflection of light in the core of the plastic optical fibre. requirements about sufficient strength to withstand all the
When light falls on one end of the optical fibre, it gets loads that will be acting on it after construction during its
totally internally reflected in the fibre and gets transmitted useful life. Various studies have been carried out to
on other end of the fibre. investigate the compressive strength of light transmitting
concrete.
This concrete is very important from sustainable
development and green building point of view as it allows 1.6 Recent Development
use of natural light more efficiently without compromising The community has great challenges and it needs useful
much on strength parameter. For green buildings, according solution for the challenges as like the global climate
to IGBC (Indian Green Building Council), 50% of daylight change, using energy in a sustainable way and protecting
is mandatory which accounts for 3 credits in the green the environment. We should find a good solution, for
buildings. Light transmitting concrete allow sufficient light instance: using of solar energy, transparent heat insulation,
inside the building, thereby making it easier to achieve passive buildings etc. The development of the building
higher ratings for buildings. technology in the field of building industry is a good way to
eliminate the emission of greenhouse gases, because we
1.3 Functional Principle of Light Transmitting shall use less loam and the industry will not need to transfer
Concrete those materials.
Diffuse natural light and sunlight provide the full spectrum
of colours shining through the concrete panels. Sunlight is The former Research and Development results will be
the most inexpensive light source. If the panel is mounted combined with the technologies of the frozen sand concrete
free standing or in front of a window, one will not need any and the non-tectonic constructions theories and practices.
artificial light source. Transparent concrete or translucent The results of the last decades in the field of concrete
concrete is work Based on “Nano-Optics”. Optical fibres technology and material science could be combined with
passes as much light when tiny slits are placed directly on the new Research and Development results. New Research
top of each other as when they are staggered. Principle can and Developments are developing of a simple, cheap and
carry because optical fibres in the concrete act like the slits productive optical fibre, especially according to the
and carry the light across throughout the concrete. production of the transparent concrete. The use of this
material in the solar architecture in a cheap way. The other
1.4 Usage of Light Transmitting Concrete Blocks aim is that the people could use it more. By the results, the
Translucent blocks can be installed as front wall of transparent concrete will be available for everybody,
restaurant and shops to let people from outside because the technology is cheap and productive due to the
know about inside condition, which can catch fibre pulling and brick technology methods.
customers.
1.7 Aim and Objectives
At present scenario construction field all around the world 3. MATERIAL COLLECTION AND
is facing a serious problem with price hike of raw materials. PROPERTIES
It is also important for engineers to develop Eco-friendly
material, as environment is getting affected day by day by
the increasing construction activities It is much of 3.1 Materials Used
importance for developing a new kind of building material, In This Investigation, The Following Materials Were Used:
which can integrate green energy saving with self-sensing Ordinary Portland Cement Of 53 Grade Cement
properties of functional material such that the excellent Conforming To Is:169-1989
properties of light guiding and light weight, a smart Fine Aggregate and Coarse Aggregate
transparent light weight concrete is researched by arranging Conforming To IS: 2386-1963.
he glass crystals & resin-hardener into the concrete. The Water.
way to control the density of lightweight transparent Waste Glass
concrete become difficult. By using different quantities of Optical Fibre
foaming agent will affect the strength and quality of foam
concrete. 3.2 Cement
Ordinary Portland cement is the most common type of
1.8 Objectives cement in general use around the world as a basic
To make concrete partly transparent by using ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco, and most non
optical fibres in it to impart good appearance to specialty grout. It developed from other types of hydraulic
structure. lime in England in mid-19th century and usually originates
To study improvement in performance of concrete from limestone. It is a fine powder produced by heating
in light transmission by using optical fibre and materials to form clinker. After grinding the clinker we will
improve performance of structure to derive natural add small amounts of remaining ingredients. Many types of
light. cements are available in market. When it comes to different
To study Energy saving for illumination by using grades of cement, the 53 Grade OPC Cement provides
transparent block for building. consistently higher strength compared to others. As per the
To study cost effectiveness of this high Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the grade number of a
performance concrete cement highlights the minimum compressive strength that
the cement is expected to attain within 28 days. For 53
Grade OPC Cement, the minimum compressive strength
2. METHODOLOGY achieved by the cement at the end of the 28th day shouldn’t
Figure 3 shows the methodology of the study
be less than 53MPa or 530 kg/cm2. The colour of OPC is
grey colour and by eliminating ferrous oxide during
manufacturing process of cement we will get white cement
also. Ordinary Portland Cement of 53 Grade of brand name
Ultra Tech Company, available in the local market was
used for the investigation. Care has been taken to see that
the procurement was made from single batching in air tight
containers to prevent it from being effected by atmospheric
conditions. The cement thus procured was tested for
physical requirements in accordance with IS: 169-1989 and
for chemical requirement in accordance IS: 4032-1988.
6. TESTING RESULT
7. CONCLUSION
A novel architectural material called translucent concrete
can be developed by adding optical fibre or large diameter
glass fibre in the concrete mixture. Optical fibre based
transparent concrete could be regarded as an art which
could be used in museums and specific exhibitions rather
Figure 5 shows the split tensile graph results than just a construction material. The translucent concrete
has good light guiding property and the ratio of optical
fibre volume to concrete is proportion to transmission. The
translucent concrete not loses the strength parameter when
compared to regular concrete and also it has very vital
property for the aesthetical point of view. It can be used for
the best architectural appearance of the building.
Variation in compressive strength, flexural
strength and tensile strength is observed in the
presence of finely ground waste glass crystals.
Compressive strength will be increases at 5%
replacement of waste glass at 45.38 N/mm2 at 28
Figure 5Split tensile graph result days.
Split tensile value will be maximum at 10%
replacement of waste glass at 6.88 N/mm2 at 28
6.3 Water Absorption Test days.
Table 4 shows the water absorption test results From observed results both compressive & split
tensile tests attain maximum strength at Waste
glass replacement compared to conventional
concrete.
Percentage of water absorption will be minimum
at 10% replacement of fine aggregate compared
other ratios.
[22]. T.Subramani, A. Fizoor Rahman , " An Board of Studies of Civil Engineering branch. Question paper
Experimental Study On The Properties Of Pet Fibre setter and Valuer for UG and PG Courses of Civil Engineering in
Reinforced Concrete " , International Journal of number of Universities. Life Fellow in Institution of Engineers
Application or Innovation in Engineering & (India) and Institution of Valuers. Life member in number of
Technical Societies and Educational bodies. Guided more than
Management (IJAIEM), Volume 6, Issue 3, March
420 students in UG projects and 300 students in PG projects. He
2017 , pp. 058-066 , ISSN 2319 - 4847. is a reviewer for number of International Journals and published
[23]. T.Subramani, M.Meganathan, S.Priyanka , " 201 International Journal Publications and presented more than
Experimental Study On Strength Properties Of 55 papers in International Conferences. Also presented more than
Diaphanous Concrete With Vermiculite " , 45 papers in National conferences and published 4 books
International Journal of Application or Innovation in
Engineering & Management (IJAIEM), Volume 6, Mr. Sathiyaraj. R. Is working as an Assistant
Issue 5, May 2017 , pp. 229-238 , ISSN 2319 - 4847. Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering,
[24]. T.Subramani, T.Anandavel, S.Priyanka , " VMKV Engineering College, Tamilnadu, India.
Experimental Investigation Of Waste Plastic Fibre In He did PG in the specialisation of Advanced
Construction Management at NICMAR,
Reinforced Cement Concrete Using Recycled Coarse Hyderabad. He pursued UG in Civil Engineering at College of
Aggregate " , International Journal of Application or Engineering, Guindy. He Started his career as Assistant Professor
Innovation in Engineering & Management for one and half year, worked as Project Engineer (Construction)
(IJAIEM), Volume 6, Issue 5, May 2017 , pp. 239- in VBHC Ltd, Bangalore for a year. He guided many UG as well
250 , ISSN 2319 - 4847. as PG Projects for students. He specialized in PMC for Real
[25]. T.Subramani, S.Priyanka , " Experimental Test On Estate Management.
Carbon Nano Powder On The Properties Of
Concrete " , International Journal of Application or Suhail M.N is persuing B.E Under graduate in the
Innovation in Engineering & Management branch of Civil Engineering at V.M.K.V.
Engineering College; Vinayaka missions Research
(IJAIEM), Volume 6, Issue 5, May 2017 , pp. 294-
Foundation, Salem. His hobbies are playing
303 , ISSN 2319 - 4847. Cricket, drawing, Swimming and cycling
[26]. T.Subramani, P.Babu, S.Priyanka , " Strength Study
On Fibre Reinforced Concrete Using Palmyra Palm
Fibre Using Fem Software " , International Journal
of Emerging Trends & Technology in Computer Jestin Mathew is persuing B.E Under graduate in
Science (IJETTCS), Volume 6, Issue 3, May - June the branch of Civil Engineering at V.M.K.V.
2017 , pp. 198-207 , ISSN 2278-6856. Engineering College, Vinayaka missions
[27]. T.Subramani, G.Unni Krishnan, R.Arumugam, Research Foundation, Salem. His hobbies are
Listening Music, Cricket and books Reading.
A.Godwyn Michael Cornelies, H.Gopu , "
Experimental Study Of Quarry Sand And Rice Husk
Replacing In Concrete " , International Journal of
Application or Innovation in Engineering & Sreehari T S is persuing B.E Under graduate in
Management (IJAIEM), Volume 6, Issue 5, May the branch of Civil Engineering at V.M.K.V.
2017 , pp. 312-319 , ISSN 2319 - 4847. Engineering College; Vinayaka missions
[28]. T.Subramani, R.Sengottaiyan, K.Roop Kumar, Research Foundation, Salem. His hobbies are
V.Arun Kumar , S.S.ShanjaySundaraSood , " An playing Cricket, drawing, Swimming and cycling.
Expremental Investigation On Mineral Admixture
For High Perfomence Of Concrete " , International
Journal of Application or Innovation in Engineering
& Management (IJAIEM), Volume 6, Issue 5, May
2017 , pp. 320-326 , ISSN 2319 - 4847.
[29]. T.Subramani, J.Karthickrajan , " Experimental Study
On Absorption Of CO2 By M30 Concrete As A
Partial Replacement Of Cement By 25% Of Zeolite"
, International Journal of Application or Innovation
in Engineering & Management (IJAIEM) , Volume
5, Issue 5, pp. 085-094 , 2016 .
AUTHOR
Prof. Dr.T.Subramani Working as a Professor
and Dean of Civil Engineering in VMKV
Engineering College, Vinayaka Missions
Research Foundation (Deemed to be
University),Salem,TamilNadu, India. Having
more than 28 years of Teaching experience in
Various Engineering Colleges. He is a Chartered Civil Engineer
and Approved Valuer for many banks. Chairman and Member in
Volume 7, Issue 2, March – April 2018 Page 115