Investigation of Paper Crete Concrete
INTRODUCTION:
Utilizing paper waste that has been generated and dissolved in water to produce paper pulp that is
environmentally friendly and recyclable numerous times. Elastic, glass powder, mechanical waste
filaments, wood sawdust wastes, and limestone powder wastes have all received considerable
attention in recent years while creating building materials. Papercrete led the door to use the
recyclable materials in great quantities for the development of light weight materials, decorative
purposes, and in architectural design.
Papercrete is an innovative, eco-friendly building material that incorporates waste paper into concrete,
making it a sustainable alternative to traditional construction materials. This material is created by
mixing recycled paper with cement, water, and sometimes sand or other additives. Its development
stems from a desire to reduce the environmental impact of traditional concrete, which has a high
carbon footprint due to cement production. By utilizing paper waste, papercrete aims to promote
resource recycling while reducing landfill waste.The primary appeal of papercrete lies in its
lightweight nature and improved thermal and acoustic insulation compared to regular concrete.
Papercrete can be molded into blocks, panels, or other building components and is primarily used in
non-load-bearing walls, insulation, and low-cost housing projects. Despite its advantages, papercrete
has some limitations, such as lower compressive strength, water absorption, and fire resistance, which
make it unsuitable for heavy structural applications without further treatment or reinforcement.In
recent years, papercrete has attracted attention for its potential in green building and sustainable
architecture. Researchers and builders are experimenting with ways to enhance its strength, durability,
and resistance to moisture and fire, making it more suitable for a wider range of applications. This
investigation explores the properties, benefits, limitations, and potential applications of papercrete as
an alternative construction material.
Cement is the largest utilized man-made material in world. For concrete manufacturation a large
amount of cement is being used in India. The amount of total cement consumption in India for year
2017 was 270m million metric tons and it is excepted to go up to 273 million metric tons by the year
2019. Requirement of cement increase per year. The production of cement is not only costly and
energy intensive, but it also produces large amount of carbon emission. The production of one one ton
of cement produces approximately one ton of CO2 in the atmosphere. Papercrete is a new composite
material using waste paper as a partial replacement of Portland cement. By using the waste paper,
papercrete reduces the amount of cement use as well as it makes environment friendly building
material. Papercrete is an alternative building material which reduces dead load for the main structure.
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Department of Civil Engineering, TCE Gadag
Investigation of Paper Crete Concrete
The basic constituents of papercrete are water and any kind of paper .These fibers from paper add
strength to cement, just as glass fibers add strength to fiberglass. In the case of papercrete, these fibers
can actually make up the bulk of the mix, resulting in a product that is both lightweight and strong.
Paper is principally wood cellulose. Cellulose is natural polymer. The cellulose chain bristles with
polar-OH groups. These groups form hydrogen bonds with-OH group on adjacent chains, bundling.
and the chain together. In order to form a hard and a stable crystalline region, the chains are packed
.regularly so that the bundled chains gain more stability and strength. The constituents utilised in the
production of a concrete mixture include water, aggregate, cement, and fine aggregate, sometimes
referred to as sand. A novel composite material, referred to as Waste Paper Concrete (WPC), is
developed through the integration of Waste Paper (WP) into a concrete mixture. In the present era, the
release of carbon dioxide gas stemming from cement utilisation at construction sites has emerged as a
substantial global apprehension. However, there is a growing inclination among individuals to reside
in an environmentally sustainable setting.
This study has been undertaken to solve the aforementioned difficulties. Furthermore, the excessive
disposal of waste products might lead to the occurrence of environmental pollution. The utilisation of
WPC is constrained by its limited applicability, mostly attributed to the imposition of specific
percentage restrictions. This phenomenon can be attributed to the presence of increased proportions of
WP that are deemed undesirable, leading to a potential decrease in the compressive strength of
concrete.This comprehensive research paper provides an overview of the chemical and physical
properties of WP, compares the experimental findings pertaining to the fresh, mechanical and
structural properties of concrete using WP with those of standard concrete without WP, as
documented in prior research included in this publication. The detailed study says that adding WP at
concentrations of 5% and 10% makes concrete stronger when it comes to compressive strength. The
utilisation of WPC offers numerous advantages and encompasses a wide array of applications within
the fields of building and civil engineering. In seismically active regions, the use of WPC for the
interior walls of high-rise buildings is a viable option due to its advantageous lightweight
characteristics. Additionally, the utilisation of steel would be reduced, leading to a decrease in labour,
energy, and material expenses . In summary, WPC utilisation serves as a catalyst for promoting the
recycling of WP materials, especially within communities where such practices are not commonly
observed. As a result, the practice of recycling paper contributes to the preservation of landfill
capacity and the reduction of chemical consumption in the manufacturing and creation of new paper.
Therefore, the utilisation of a concrete mixture incorporating WP presents a potential approach for
addressing the issue of WP disposal in landfills . Moreover, it has been observed that the practise of
water-reducing admixtures in concrete might result in a reduction of its density. The inclusion of WP
is considered to be an optimal approach for utilising WP effectively and appropriately. Hence, it is
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Department of Civil Engineering, TCE Gadag
Investigation of Paper Crete Concrete
deemed necessary to do further study WPC by assessing their material features and characteristics.
This will enable an evaluation of its potential as a substitute for conventional concrete applications.
WP is composed of fibrous material that has a role in the overall volume of the mixture, resulting in
the creation of lightweight concrete. The utilisation of water-reducing admixtures in structural
concrete would be a prudent decision, as it may effectively mitigate the negative impacts on the
construction process. Cellulose and fibre are derived from this resource, which is indispensable, and it
is also one of the most abundant forms of garbage encountered in various disposal and landfill sites
LITERATURE SURVEY:
1. “Conducted a research to determine whether or not papercrete has suitable mechanical and
physical properties”. (2006) .by, Fuller: The parameters that he studied are the Young’s
modulus (E), thermal conductivity (K), thermal resistance (R), bond characteristics, and
creep behavior. The stress versus strain graphs suggest that papercrete is a ductile material
that can sustain large deformations. Cement plays an important role in the compressive
strength and behavior. Specimens with higher proportion of cement exhibit larger Young’s
modulus.
2. “Investigation on the viability of using paper mill sludge as an alternative material”. (2006).by,
Gallardo et al. focused: This can be applied as a partial replacement of fine aggregates in
manufacturing fresh concrete intended to be used for low cost housing project. Based on the
results of this study, they concluded that the most suitable mix proportion is 5 to 10%
replacement of paper sludge to fine aggregates used. Any further percentage replacement
higher than 10% would result in a decrease in both compression and tensile strength. The
reduction of concrete strength can be attributed to the high water-cement ration and absence
of celeca compound in paper sludge, which is essential of bonding and structure of cement
concrete.
3. “Worked on mechanical properties of papercrete by taking various samples and experimenting
on them”. (2007).by.H.Yun et al: Which includes 5% paper-cement replacement ratio was 34
MPa and water-binder ratio hardly affected compressive strength of papercrete. According to
paper replacement ratio, compressive strength affected rapidly. According to them, the
density of papercrete was decreased when the replacement ratio of waste paper of papercrete
increased. The splitting tensile strength also decreased by including higher replacement ratio
of waste paper.
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Department of Civil Engineering, TCE Gadag
Investigation of Paper Crete Concrete
4. “Conducted an experimental study which investigated the potential use of paper waste for
producing a low-cost and light-weight composite brick”. (2011).by, Malthy and
Jegatheeswaran: They investigated three different mix proportions of fly-ash-mixed
papercrete blocks with and without sand. In all three bricks, the compressive strength was
more than the required, i.e., 3.5 MPa. The bricks have water absorption more than 20%.
Papercrete blocks did not burn with an open flame. They smoldered like charcoal but if the
interior plaster and exterior stucco is provided on the bricks, the bricks would not burn at all.
The results showed that the effect of high-level replacement of paper wastes does not exhibit
sudden brittle fracture and it reduces unite weight and introduce smooth surface as compare
to current conventional bricks.
5. “Development and study of some properties of Papercrete concrete”. (2014).By, M. Rame
Gowda, K. Prasanna: Carried an experimental work on Papercrete concrete cubes made with
cement, sand, paper and fly ash in different mix proportions for determine the some
properties. They had reported as Papercrete can easily be molded into any desired shape,
light in weight compared to conventional blocks and very good surface finish can be
achieved.
6. Mix Design and Factors Affecting Strength of Pervious Concrete- Bishnu Kant Shukla
and Aakash Gupta: Pervious concrete is a sure sort of concrete with a high porosity utilized
for concrete flatwork applications that will permit the water from precipitation and different
sources to go straightforwardly through, along these lines diminishes the overflow from a
site and permitting groundwater to revive. The concrete glue at that point coats the totals and
enables water to go through the concrete piece.
7. A Review on Papercrete as a Building Material- N.M.Patil, .A.S. Manjarekar:The major
problem faced in Construction industry is the environmental pollution . Similarly, Papers
were used and reused several times and ends in a form of solid waste. Papercrete is a
sustainable building material due to reduced amount of cement usage and recycled paper
being put to good use. Papercrete is a one type of fibrous cement, made by shredding paper
such as old newspapers, prints, cardboards etc. as pulp in water, Portland cement and sandy
soil. It has numerous advantages in construction industry, namely low carbon footprint,
recycled material usage, low embodied energy, high strength to weight ratio, high thermal
insulation, high sound absorption, aesthetic and cost effective. There are many varieties of
Papercrete possible when the constituents mixed in different proportions. It gains its inherent
strength due to presence of hydrogen bonds in microstructure of paper. This thick mix can
then be poured into moulds and cast like concrete, to make it into any desired shape and size.
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Department of Civil Engineering, TCE Gadag
Investigation of Paper Crete Concrete
Moreover papercrete bricks can also be manufactured.
8. K.Anandaraju et al. (2015) studied and they defined the term „Papercrete‟ as a mix of
concrete and waste paper. Their exists different types of Papercrete with varying percentage
of waste paper. They had not given any thumb rule to inculcate the percentage of waste
paper. They used trial mix proportions and determine a standard proportion of Papercrete
which provides required physical properties. In their study, they carried out test for many
physical properties to determine the best mix, some of these are density, mechanical
properties, flame retarded and thermal properties.
9. Reviewing the potential of waste paper incorporation in enhancing concrete
sustainability-Roopadevi B Birajdar, Chittela Vijaya Babu: Concrete is made from a mix
of aggregate, sand, water, and cement. Waste Paper Concrete (WPC) is a mix of concrete and
Waste Paper (WP). Every year, WP production slowly goes up. Because of this, more space
is needed for disposal sites, which use energy, use up natural resources, and make the world
dirtier. By using WP in concrete, pollution in the environment could be cut down. So, this
review paper looks at what can be done with WP by replacing fine aggregate, coarse
aggregate, and cement in concrete at 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%. This study talks about
the physical and chemical properties of the WP.
10. Utilisation of used white Paper For Papercrete- Al-Shehari, Waleed Redhwan
Mohammed: Papercrete is a construction material created by combining wastepaper with
cement and additional substances. It serves as a replacement for traditional concrete and
provides advantages like as waste reduction and the mitigation of construction's
environmental impact. It serves as a sustainable and eco-friendly substitute for conventional
concrete. The objective of this study is to quantify the compressive and flexural strength of
papercrete, assess the manufacturing cost of papercrete, and identify the optimal paper
proportion in the concrete mix based on both mechanical and economic factors.
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Department of Civil Engineering, TCE Gadag
Analysis of Accident Risk-A Case Study of Gadag city
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Department of Civil Engineering, TCE Gadag
Analysis of Accident Risk-A Case Study of Gadag city
PROBLEM STATEMENT:
1. Low Compressive Strength: Papercrete lacks the structural integrity required for load-
bearing applications, limiting its use to non-load-bearing components.
2. High Water Absorption: The porous nature of papercrete makes it highly susceptible
to moisture, leading to durability concerns, especially in humid or rainy climates. This
problem requires the development of effective waterproofing techniques or additives.
3. Fire Resistance: Papercrete’s high cellulose content increases its flammability, raising
safety concerns unless treated with fire retardants.
4. Durability: Prolonged exposure to environmental factors like water, UV radiation, and
temperature fluctuations can degrade the material, reducing its lifespan compared to
conventional building materials.
OBJECTIVES:
1. Assess the Mechanical Strength: To analyze the compressive, tensile, and flexural strength
of papercrete and determine its suitability for various structural and non-structural applications.
2. Evaluate Water Resistance and Durability: To examine papercrete’s water absorption
rates and identify effective waterproofing methods or additives that can improve its resistance
to moisture and extend its lifespan in different environmental conditions.
3. Examine Environmental and Economic Benefits: To conduct a life cycle assessment of
papercrete, comparing its environmental impact and cost-effectiveness to conventional
construction materials.
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Department of Civil Engineering, TCE Gadag
Analysis of Accident Risk-A Case Study of Gadag city
METHODOLOGY
Material Selection.
Casting and Curing of Specimens.
Mechanical Testing.
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Water Absorption and Durability Testing
Fire Resistance Testing.
Data Analysis and Interpretation.
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Department of Civil Engineering, TCE Gadag
