Is it possible to add broken glass to cement. How can broken glass be used in human life and the national economy? The use of liquid glass in concrete - areas of use

Recently, the demand for glass fiber reinforced concrete, products from which are now widely used in construction as various architectural elements of buildings (for example, facade decoration), has been constantly growing. In addition, he has established himself as an excellent material for the fence around a country house. Since ordering such a fence from a construction company is quite expensive, let's talk about how to make a fiberglass fence yourself.

Features of fiberglass concrete

The difference between fiberglass concrete and ordinary fiber-reinforced concrete is that in the process of its manufacture, fiberglass fibers are added to the concrete matrix (fine-grained concrete), which perform a reinforcing function. The fibers are evenly distributed throughout the volume of concrete in the product or are concentrated in certain areas of it. This provides material properties such as:

• High reliability. Due to the presence of fiberglass in it, fiberglass concrete is not afraid of compression and even strong impacts (impact strength is 5 times higher than that of ordinary concrete). It is characterized by resistance to bending and stretching, which exceeds the same indicator for concrete products by 15 times. This material is not characterized by the appearance of shrinkage microcracks in large quantities. Its advantages also include high wear resistance and corrosion resistance.
• Waterproof. The moisture resistance of the material allows it to be used outside the home, for example, for the production of cladding panels intended for the reconstruction of old buildings, fences and even roofs.

• Resistance to chemically aggressive environments, as well as to the effects of low temperatures and underground vibrations.
• Good fire protection and sound insulation properties, which make fiberglass concrete one of the safest building materials. Therefore, its scope is not only private construction, but also drainage systems located on expressways, car tunnels and overpasses.
• Optimal strength to weight ratio. The thickness of glass fiber reinforced concrete is from 6 to 30 mm, so their mass is not so significant. This makes it possible to reduce the cost of transportation and installation of glass fiber reinforced concrete products, as well as to use this material in the construction of the frame and foundation of the structure, since it does not create an additional load on floors and supporting structures.
• Plastic. A distinctive feature of fiberglass concrete is the ability to take almost any desired shape, so the material can be safely called an architect's dream.
• Environmental friendliness. The composition of the material includes only such substances that are absolutely safe for human health, such as cement, sand, fiberglass and water. The content of chemical additives here will be minimal.
• Aesthetic appeal, which allows the use of glass fiber reinforced concrete products for decorative purposes.

All this leads to the almost complete absence of serious competitors for fiberglass concrete in the manufacture of fences, facade parts, railings for loggias, fixed formwork. This material is also common in industrial construction, where they are used in the manufacture of drainage trays and sewers, sanitary cabin blocks, pipes, waterproofing coatings, as well as in the construction of noise barriers and bridges and in landscape architecture.

Characteristics of fiberglass concrete manufacturers

In order for fiberglass fences to serve as long as possible, it is necessary to carefully approach the choice of its manufacturer. Today, there are a large number of companies manufacturing and selling this material on the market. We highlight the largest of them:

• NP "Union of Producers of Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete PROFIBRO" (Russia). It unites several enterprises (PSK-Partner, OrtOst-Facade (Moscow), Ecodeco (Krasnodar), AFB-Aspect (Odessa, Ukraine)) and was founded in 2012. The glass fiber reinforced concrete produced by this association of companies is characterized by a high degree of adhesion to conventional varieties of concrete, excellent tensile strength both in relation to impact, and bending, tension and compression. The material is not afraid of frost and is able to withstand 300 cycles of transition from low to high temperatures. It can easily be given a variety of shapes, turning it into a magnificent element of building decor. The cost per square meter of glass fiber reinforced concrete ranges from 25 to 35 dollars.
• "Rococo" (Russia). The production of fiberglass concrete is the main activity of this company. Here, not only the material itself is obtained, but products are made from it. The enterprise has a workshop for processing fiberglass elements, a sculptural and molding workshop. Innovative technologies are used in production, such as premixing and pneumatic spraying, therefore, Rococo fiberglass concrete is characterized by greater mechanical strength (10-12 times), plasticity (2.5-3 times) and tensile strength compared to traditional reinforced concrete . The company specializes in the sale of facade slabs, plinth cladding slabs, fences, fixed formwork, sanitary elements (drainage systems, gutters). Since the company mainly sells finished products, the price for them varies in a very wide range and depends on the costs of making the mold and model, processing the finished product, its hydrophobization and painting.

• "Ronson" (Russia). The company has been operating on the market for more than 20 years and includes its own workshop for the production of fiberglass concrete and products from it. The know-how of this enterprise is the complete exclusion of manual labor from the technological process. A significant part of the operations is performed on CNC machines, the accuracy of which reaches 0.05 mm. Therefore, building elements made of glass fiber reinforced concrete "Ronson" have such excellent characteristics as a significant wall thickness of the product (from 15 to 50 mm), good frost resistance (the material can withstand over 150 cycles of changing seasons), water resistance class W20, low thermal conductivity, up to 0, 65 W/cm2. In addition, the material can be used even in aggressive acid environments.
• Decorclassic (Russia). The product range of the enterprise impresses with its diversity: the consumer is offered cornices, moldings, friezes, 3D panels, rosettes, columns and pilasters made of glass fiber reinforced concrete. All of them are distinguished by almost perfect forms and are able to reproduce the surface with any texture. Products are painted in all shades of colors, are lightweight and are not prone to cracking. The final cost of the product is determined by its size and the complexity of the modeling and molding work.
• House Gut (Russia). The main activity of the enterprise is the production of glass fiber reinforced concrete decor by spraying or casting. Therefore, the distinctive features of this product are lightness, strength, geometric accuracy of shapes, and no shrinkage during installation. However, preference is given to the production of products whose size does not exceed one meter.

How to install a fiberglass fence

Even if the owner of a private house is not attracted by a slightly pretentious decoration of the facade with fiberglass products, nevertheless, it is worth thinking about how to make a fence from this material on your own. Such fences are very easy to install, as they consist of separate blocks with a small mass. In addition, their durability is almost not affected by negative natural conditions such as heavy rains and snowfalls.

To mount the fence, we need the fiberglass blocks themselves, metal fittings, a horizontal bowstring, cement mortar, a level, a drill, paint for decoration. It is necessary to perform the following sequence of operations:

• Decide on the height of the structure and mark the points where the fence posts will be mounted.
• Dig a trench and lower metal reinforcement with a diameter of at least 10 mm into the prepared recesses. The distance between future posts should be approximately one meter.
• Fill the base with concrete, wait until it hardens, and put a bowstring in the trench, which is usually a steel pipe with a rectangular section of 20x40 mm. It is connected to the fittings either by welding or using bolts, self-tapping screws or special brackets.
• "String" on the reinforcement the first hollow block of glass fiber reinforced concrete - the base pedestal. Before that, holes should be drilled in it.

• Completely fill the first block with cement mortar and insert a metal pin with a diameter of at least 10-18 mm into its holes to tie it with other parts of the fence. Its length should exceed the length of the block by at least 15-20 cm. The pins are installed in all blocks that make up the vertical poles. It is recommended to drill holes for them in each structural element.
• Now align the fiberglass blocks vertically until you reach the desired height of the fence post. Fill each block completely with cement mortar, preferably with reinforcement. The next stage of installation should be accompanied by a thorough check of the verticality and horizontality of the blocks already installed.
• When all the pillars are assembled, the turn of the horizontal fence sheets comes, which are fixed by means of the pins described above and protruding beyond the vertical pillars.
• At the end, we finish the fence: we paint it with a special paint for concrete surfaces.

Decorative functions of glass concrete fence

Fiberglass concrete is characterized by a high degree of decorativeness, so it opens up unlimited possibilities for expressing the personal preferences of the owner of the house. Such material allows not only to quickly and easily make a fence with your own hands, but also to reflect the individuality of a separate dwelling. Fiberglass fences are paintable, so they can be repainted every year, changing the finish to suit your mood.

A characteristic feature of fiberglass concrete is that it often imitates other building materials, including brick, wood, marble, granite and many others. The "highlight" of such a fence is the ability to make it two-sided: on the one hand, it imitates the texture of marble, on the other, wood. Or, for the front side of the fence, embossed fiberglass slabs are used, and for the back - flat ones. Caps on fence posts, which are round or square, are very popular.

Fences made of glass fiber reinforced concrete often look monumental if solid and wide canvases of glass fiber reinforced concrete panels were taken for them. But in order to make the fence look more elegant, they should be replaced with narrower horizontal panels or glass fiber reinforced concrete blocks should be purchased, which in appearance resemble brick laying. Under the order, it is quite possible to purchase plates with a variety of patterns or even sculptural compositions that turn the fence into a real work of art.

Since the fences are collapsible structures, their height varies depending on the functional purpose. Along the perimeter of the personal plot, it is better to install a high monumental, even a little pompous fence. But if the area around the house is significant, small fences made of such material will give it a special charm, separating, for example, a garden from utility rooms. Sometimes only fence posts are made of glass fiber reinforced concrete, and instead of horizontal panels, a forged grate is installed. If suddenly the type of fence is tired, its elements literally in a couple of hours change to more suitable ones in type or size, giving a completely new look to the entire country house.

Glass to order is an indispensable material in the production of dishes, building materials, furniture and interior items. However, glass has one big drawback - it is very fragile and crumbles easily. Large and small fragments have sharp edges that are easy to cut. Once inside the human body, glass fragments can cause bleeding, and glass dust that settles in the lungs remains there forever and leads to serious illness. Due to the great danger to human health, the disposal of glass fragments has certain difficulties.

Glass practically does not decompose in natural conditions, since the main component in its manufacture is sand.

What can be done with broken glass, and how can it be properly disposed of or recycled without causing damage to the environment?

If the volumes of broken glass are small and you have creative potential, you can use fragments to decorate the interior. Shards of flat glass are suitable for making stained glass windows. For their coloring, you can use stained glass paints or colored adhesive film. From small fragments, you can make a mosaic and decorate a vase or flower pot with them. At the same time, one must not forget about safety precautions when working with glass.

The use of broken glass to decorate the garden in the form of mosaic borders is not recommended, as the glass may eventually crumble from the bonding base and fall into the ground. Some also advise burying glass shards around the perimeter of the garden area or using it as filler when building a house foundation, as this is an effective way to control moles and rats. But these ways of using broken glass also carry a serious potential threat to humans.

The best way to use broken glass in construction is to crush it and add it to the cement mortar. Glass fragments for grinding can be loaded into a concrete mixer by adding water, sand and gravel. This method of processing cullet makes it possible to produce small glass chips with rounded edges, which will serve as excellent thermal insulation during the construction of the foundation, and also increase the strength of concrete. Processed glass chips can be an alternative to sand and gravel.

The same method of processing broken glass in a concrete mixer is also suitable for obtaining the so-called sea glass. In its natural form, this glass is found on sea coasts. It has good decorative properties and smooth edges on the entire surface. This allows the wide use of "sea glass" for the manufacture of jewelry and mosaics of any type.

If the volumes of cullet are large (usually in construction and in the production of window structures), then it is best to hand over glass fragments to cullet dealers. Firms that buy up broken glass then resell it to glass factories.

Custom glass can be 100% recycled, saving natural resources. Recycled glass can replace up to 95% of raw materials in the glass industry. Each ton of recycled glass allows you to save a little less than a ton of natural materials used in its manufacture. Energy costs in the production of raw glass are reduced by 2–3% for every 10% cullet in the material's recipe. At the same time, recycled glass is a much cheaper raw material than natural components. Thus, glass recycling is a very environmentally friendly process.

Another option for using broken glass in large volumes is the manufacture of glass tiles. Glass fragments are crushed in a crusher, mixed with dyes and polyester resin, then poured into special molds of various sizes and textures. When pouring glass, a vacuum is created to eliminate air bubbles in the finished tile. The resulting facing tiles can be used for finishing kitchens, bathrooms and even exterior facades of houses. This glass tile manufacturing technology is a good idea for small and medium-sized businesses, since the cost of raw materials and equipment is low, and the cost of its imported counterparts is quite high.

If you apply the creativity of each person, then broken glass is an indispensable material in all kinds of folk art products, ranging from building materials, where broken glass can be added to concrete for greater strength, they can also be added to all kinds of panels, cinder concrete, and can also be used when decorating facades, with all kinds of decorative and applied products, because broken glass powder in combination with glue or various varnishes with the addition of color can be a good stained glass material, and if you also heat it up, you will get all kinds of lamps interspersed glass and plastics.

Also, broken glass to order can be used to develop the psychophysiological capabilities of a person, for example, small broken glass can be consumed to train walking barefoot. And you can also use them in the beds so that the grass does not grow, falling asleep the territory.

Conclusion: broken glass is by and large the sand from which this glass is made, so where sand is used, broken glass can also be used.

In contact with

Concrete has been widely used in construction for many years due to its resistance to deformation and durability, but the material also has some disadvantages, the most important of which is low tensile strength. Most often, this problem is solved by metal reinforcement, but in our time more progressive solutions have appeared. You can make glass concrete with your own hands, while the material properties will be at the highest level while reducing the weight of the structure.

In the photo - the use of fiberglass allows you to give even thin concrete elements unsurpassed strength

Main types of materials

We note right away that the concept of glass concrete means a whole range of variations, we will not consider all of them, we will only get acquainted with those that are most often used and with which you can work independently. Each type has its own characteristics, which determine certain properties of the material.

composite concrete

The second name of this option is glass-reinforced concrete. It is very similar to conventional reinforced concrete options, but glass concrete technology involves the use of fiberglass rods instead of metal reinforcement.

To explain all the advantages of composite reinforcement, let's compare it with conventional metal reinforcement:

Such reinforcement surpasses metal in all respects, which is why it is very widely used in modern construction.

Another important advantage is that composite rods are 2.5 times more tensile, which makes it possible to use smaller diameter products without losing the strength characteristics of the structure.

Work on creating a reinforcing belt of this type is much easier and faster due to a number of reasons:

• Light weight material.
• Ease of connection - with the help of plastic clamps that securely fix each node.
• In winter, metal is very cold, while fiberglass does not freeze through.

Laying a composite armored belt is much easier than using metal

Important!
It is worth remembering that the strength properties of fiberglass are much higher, so smaller diameter reinforcement can be used without loss of strength.

glass filled concrete

Such glass concrete has a number of differences, the main of which is the use of fiberglass as a filler, which determines the high performance properties of the material.

Glass fiber resistant to alkalis and other adverse effects

The main advantages of this option are the following:

• Versatility: both panels and blocks or light and strong cladding sheets can be produced in this way. The scope of application is very wide.
• Ease: the composition includes fine-grained concrete mixed with sand in a ratio of 50/50 and chopped glass fiber.
• Strength fiber-reinforced concrete: in compression it is twice as stable as simple concrete, in tension and bending it is 4 times stronger, and the impact resistance is 15 times higher.
• With the help of various additives: plasticizers, dyes, water repellents - the properties of concrete can change significantly.

But it is worth noting that the manufacture of such material is a rather complicated process, and high quality and reliability can only be achieved in the factory.

Fiber concrete sheets have a peculiar structure and can even be used as a final finish.

Concrete with the addition of liquid glass

This option cannot be called glass concrete in its pure form, however, it is worth considering it, since liquid glass is used in production. This silicate-based component gives the material high moisture resistance properties and increases resistance to high temperatures.

In addition, liquid glass has pronounced antiseptic properties, due to which it is often added during construction in swampy areas, where dampness has a particularly strong effect on structures.

Liquid glass gives concrete the highest properties of resistance to both moisture and high temperatures.

Instructions for the preparation of concrete is as follows:

• First, concrete of the desired grade is prepared, while you should not make it too liquid.
• Next, liquid glass is diluted with water in the proportion indicated in the instructions on the package.
• The finished solution is added to concrete in a ratio of 1:10, after which it is necessary to mix the composition thoroughly before use.

Important!
Water that is added to liquid glass is not taken into account when preparing concrete, as it goes to maintain a chemical reaction that makes the surface resistant to moisture.

It is important to mix the solution thoroughly, then the entire surface will be protected from moisture.

Sometimes a simpler method is used: impregnation of the surface with a solution of liquid glass. But in order to achieve the best protection, it is better to apply another layer of mortar with liquid glass for concrete on top, especially since it hardens quickly enough, so the time for the work will not increase.

Everyone knows that cutting reinforced concrete with diamond wheels, as well as diamond drilling holes in concrete, are fraught with many difficulties. But the use of fiberglass elements also simplifies these difficult jobs: the material lends itself much better, and crowns and discs wear out less quickly.

Fiberglass concrete is much easier to drill

To understand the issue even better, watch the video in this article, which clearly shows some of the nuances under consideration. In general, it is safe to say that the future belongs to fiberglass elements, and glass concrete will be used more and more every year.

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An alternative to concrete is glass concrete, which has greater strength, frost resistance and thermal conductivity. There are six types of glass concrete on the market, and they will be discussed in this article.

Each house is a unique structure with its own characteristics. Even if a standard project is used, factors such as the characteristics of the soil, the depth of its freezing, soil and air humidity, the prevailing wind and wind strength have to be taken into account during construction. To take into account means to make appropriate adjustments to the project.

For example, the increased seismic hazard of the region will require an increase in the total footage and diameter of the reinforcement, a decrease in its knitting step; with increased soil moisture, it is necessary to increase the layer of concrete around the reinforcement - in order to slow down its corrosion, etc. Sometimes such issues can be solved by replacing the calculated material with another one with more convenient and advantageous characteristics in this situation, or reduce the cost of construction due to equal-strength replacement of materials for cheaper ones.

In the cases described above, for example, an alternative to increasing the cost of the foundation by increasing the amount of material can be the use of glass concrete.

However, glass concrete is a very large group of building materials with different properties, so it is worth understanding the classification and properties of different types of glass concrete, their strengths and weaknesses, before settling on a particular type.

A common property for all glass concrete is concrete, in which glass in various forms is added as an integral part. The function of this additive determines the properties of the resulting material.

Glass concrete classification:

1. Glass-reinforced concrete (composite concrete);
2. Concrete with the addition of liquid glass;
3. Glass-filled concrete with fiber (glass fiber reinforced concrete);
4. Fiberglass concrete (translucent with optical fiber);
5. Glass-filled concrete with cullet;
6. Glass concrete with glass as a binder.

Glass concrete properties

Glass reinforced concrete (composite concrete)

In fact, this is an analogue of reinforced concrete, the technological difference is only in the replacement of a metal reinforcing bar with a fiberglass (composite) one. However, this type of concrete, precisely because of the replacement of reinforcement, differs in a number of properties.

It is necessary to take into account what exactly causes the need to reinforce concrete: this is its low tensile strength, bending, compression. This shortcoming eliminates reinforcement.

Now, the expensive (in every sense) metal reinforcing bar is being replaced by less expensive composite materials based on plastic, glass or basalt fiber. Fiberglass reinforcement is most in demand, although it is slightly inferior in strength to basalt, but it is much cheaper.

• Low weight of reinforcement: fiberglass reinforcement is 5 times lighter than steel reinforcement of the same diameter, and with equal strength diameter - almost 10 times.
• Fiberglass and basalt rebar are produced in the form of a bundle, rolled up into coils of 100 m each (coil weight from 7 to 10 kg), the diameter of the coil is about a meter, which allows it to be transported in the trunk of a car, that is, it is very convenient to transport and waste-free cutting, in contrast from a metal bar - heavier and requiring long-length freight transport.
• Fiberglass and basalt reinforcement is 2.5-3 times stronger in tension than steel of the same diameter, which allows replacing steel reinforcement with fiberglass with a smaller diameter without loss of strength (this is called equal-strength replacement).
• Fiberglass and basalt fittings have 100 times less thermal conductivity than metal and therefore are not cold bridges (thermal conductivity of glass fittings is 0.48 W/m2, thermal conductivity of metal fittings is 56 W/m2).

Glass-composite reinforcement is not subject to corrosion and is resistant to aggressive environments (although it is desirable to avoid strongly alkaline environments). This means that it does not change its diameter, even if it is in a humid environment. And metal reinforcement, as you know, with poor waterproofing of concrete, can corrode until it is completely destroyed. At the same time, corroded metal reinforcement due to oxides increases in volume (almost 10 times) and is itself capable of breaking a concrete block.

As a result, it is possible to safely reduce the thickness of the protective layer of concrete blocks reinforced with fiberglass. After all, the large thickness of the protective layer was due to the need to protect the steel reinforcement from moisture impregnating the top layer of concrete, and thereby prevent possible corrosion. Reducing the thickness of the protective layer, together with the low weight of the reinforcement itself, leads to a significant reduction in the weight of the structure without reducing its strength.

And this is, firstly, a reduction in the price of a glass concrete structure; secondly, reducing the weight of the entire building; thirdly, reducing the load on the foundation - and additional savings on the size of the foundation.

Glass-reinforced concrete is stronger, warmer and cheaper.

Concrete with the addition of liquid glass

Liquid silicate sodium (rarely potassium) glass is added to concrete in order to increase resistance to moisture and high temperatures and has antiseptic properties, therefore it is recommended to use it when pouring foundations on swampy soils and in hydraulic structures (wells, waterfalls, pools), and to increase heat resistance - when installing fireplaces, boilers and sauna stoves. In fact, here the glass acts as a binder.

There are 2 ways to use liquid glass to improve the properties of concrete:

1. Glass, diluted with water to the desired proportion, closes the dry mixture. For 10 liters of finished waterproof concrete, 1 liter of liquid glass is introduced. The water used to dilute liquid glass is not taken into account and does not affect the volume of water required for concrete mixing, since it is completely spent on the chemical reactions of glass and concrete to form compounds that prevent the top layer of concrete from getting wet.

The addition of undiluted glass (or even its solution in the required dilution) to an already prepared mixture worsens the properties of concrete, leading to cracking and increased brittleness.

1. Application of liquid glass in the form of a primer (waterproofing) on ​​the surface of the finished concrete block. However, it is better to apply another layer of cement mixture containing liquid glass after such a primer. In this way, ordinary concrete products can also be protected from moisture (the main thing is to apply a primer and plaster layer no later than a day after pouring, or chip and pre-wet the surface, otherwise the adhesion of the layers will be weak).

The addition of liquid glass increases the curing rate of the finished concrete mixture (it hardens in 4-5 minutes), and the faster, the more concentrated the glass solution was. Therefore, such concrete is prepared in small portions, and the glass must be diluted with water.

Glass-filled concrete with fiber (glass fiber reinforced concrete)

Concrete reinforced with alkali-resistant fiberglass (fiber) is called glass fiber reinforced concrete. This is a universal building material that allows the production of both monolithic blocks and sheet material (glass-cement sheet, in fact, a technological analogue of slate), now sold under the brand name "Japanese wall panels".

The properties and qualities of the material can change under the influence of additives or a change in the amount of additives: acrylic polymers, quick-setting cement, dyes, etc. Glass fiber reinforced concrete is a water-resistant, lightweight and very durable material with valuable decorative properties.

The material consists of fine-grained concrete-matrix filled with sand (no more than 50%) and pieces of glass fiber (fiber). In terms of compressive strength, such concrete is twice as strong as usual, in terms of bending and tensile strength, on average, 4-5 times (up to 20 times), impact strength is 15 times higher.

Improved chemical resistance and frost resistance. However, filling concrete with fiber is a rather complicated process, since the fiber must be distributed evenly. Introduce it into the dry mixture. Filling with fiber increases the rigidity of the mixture, it is less plastic, compacts worse, and requires mandatory vibrocompaction in a large layer. Sheet materials are produced by spraying and spraying.

Fiberglass concrete (Litrakon)

It is made on the basis of concrete-matrix and specially oriented long glass (including optical) fibers.

Optical fibers penetrate the block through and through, the reinforcing fibers are randomly located between them. As a result of grinding, the ends of the optical fibers are freed from cement laitance and can conduct light with virtually no loss.

The level of transparency and color reproduction of the material depends on the number and location of optical fibers. In this case, the thickness of the block can be increased, if necessary, up to ten meters - as much as the optical fiber allows, and it can, of course, be of any length.

The material is still very expensive, about $ 1,000 per square meter, but developments are underway to reduce its cost. Has glass fittings. The material can be imitated at home if there is an optical fiber and patience, but not as a building material, but rather as a decorative one.

Glass-filled concrete with cullet

This type of concrete saves on filling materials, replacing sand and gravel with cullet and closed glass containers (tubes, ampoules, balls). Moreover, crushed stone can be replaced by glass by 20–100%, without loss of strength and with a significant reduction in the weight of the finished block.

Glass concrete with glass as a binder

As a rule, this type of concrete is for industrial production: it is manufactured at enterprises and used in them, because it has high acid resistance and relatively low alkali resistance.

Glass is sorted, crushed and ground, and then sifted through screens, divided into fractions. Particles larger than 5 mm are used as coarse aggregate, less than 5 mm instead of sand, and finely ground powder as a binder.

However, if it is possible to finely grind glass, this concrete can be made independently.

Glass powder, when mixed with water, does not show binding properties in itself, a catalyst is needed. In an alkaline environment (soda ash), cullet dissolves, forming silicic acids, which soon begin to turn into a gel. This gel binds aggregate fractions and after curing (at normal or elevated temperature, it depends on the properties of glass and filler), a durable and strong silicate conglomerate is obtained - acid-resistant glass concrete.

It is possible to manufacture concrete in a concrete mixer only on a silicate binder. First, dry components are mixed for 4-5 minutes (sand, crushed stone, ground filler and hardener (sodium silicate fluoride), then liquid glass with a modifying additive is poured into a rotating concrete mixer. The mixture is mixed for 3-5 minutes, until homogeneous. The viability of the mixture on this binder will be only 40-45 min.

Such concrete is not inferior in its construction properties to materials made from traditional binders, while surpassing them in biostability, thermal conductivity, and acid resistance. This is important if the soils on which the foundation is laid are acidic.

Glass concrete is widely used and, due to its properties, is in great demand for the production of finishing panels, gratings, fences, walls, partitions, ceilings, decor, complex architectural or transparent roofs, pipes, noise barriers, cornices, tiles, cladding and many other products. Having mastered the technology of making glass concrete with your own hands, you can significantly save on construction and create a unique design for your home.

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Glass concrete is a very flexible, resilient and high-strength material, which, while remaining concrete, is nevertheless unusually light, since it lacks both coarse aggregate and metal reinforcement. In a previous publication, we talked about what types of glass concrete are known today, i.e. on the classification of glass concrete. Today's publication is devoted to the analysis of the characteristics and properties of various types of glass concrete.

composite concrete

In other words, composite concrete is glass-reinforced concrete. In fact, this is an analogue of reinforced concrete, the technological difference is only in the replacement of a metal reinforcing bar with a fiberglass (composite) one. However, this type of concrete, precisely because of the replacement of reinforcement, differs in a number of properties:

Low weight of reinforcement, because fiberglass reinforcement is 5 times lighter than steel reinforcement of equal diameter;

Fiberglass and basalt rebar are produced in the form of a bundle, rolled into coils of 100 m each (coil weight from 7 to 10 kg), the diameter of the coil is about a meter, which allows it to be transported in the trunk of a passenger car. Thus, fiberglass reinforcement is convenient to transport, unlike a metal bar, which is very heavy and requires long trucks;

Fiberglass and basalt reinforcement is 2.5-3 times stronger in tension than steel of the same diameter. This allows you to replace steel reinforcement with fiberglass with a smaller diameter without loss of strength. This is called equal strength replacement;

Fiberglass and basalt fittings have 100 times less thermal conductivity than metal and therefore are not a cold bridge (thermal conductivity of glass fittings is 0.48 W/sq.m, and thermal conductivity of traditional fittings is 56 W/sq.m);

Glass-composite reinforcement is not subject to corrosion and is resistant to aggressive environments (although it is desirable to avoid strongly alkaline environments). This means that it does not change its diameter, even if it is in a humid environment. And metal reinforcement, as you know, with poor waterproofing of concrete, can corrode until it is completely destroyed. At the same time, corroded metal reinforcement due to oxides increases in volume (almost 10 times) and is itself capable of breaking a concrete block.

As a result, it is possible to safely reduce the thickness of the concrete cover of glass-reinforced blocks. After all, the large thickness of the protective layer was due to the need to protect the steel reinforcement from moisture impregnating the top layer of concrete, and thereby prevent possible corrosion. Reducing the thickness of the protective layer, together with the low weight of the reinforcement itself, leads to a significant reduction in the weight of the structure without reducing its strength. And this gives a significant reduction in the price of a glass concrete structure and a reduction in the weight of the entire building, reducing the load on the foundation. In addition, glass-reinforced concrete is stronger, warmer and cheaper.

Concrete with the addition of liquid glass

Liquid silicate sodium (rarely potassium) glass is added to concrete in order to increase resistance to moisture and high temperatures and has antiseptic properties, therefore it is recommended to use it when pouring foundations on swampy soils and in hydraulic structures (wells, waterfalls, pools), and to increase heat resistance - when installing fireplaces, boilers and sauna stoves. In fact, here, glass acts as a binder.

There are 2 ways to use liquid glass to improve the properties of concrete:

1. Glass, diluted with water to the desired proportion, closes the dry mixture. For 10 liters of finished waterproof concrete, 1 liter of liquid glass is introduced. The water used to dilute liquid glass is not taken into account and does not affect the volume of water required for concrete mixing, since it is completely spent on the chemical reactions of glass and concrete to form compounds that prevent the top layer of concrete from getting wet.

The addition of undiluted glass (or even its solution in the required dilution) to an already prepared mixture worsens the properties of concrete, leading to cracking and increased brittleness.

2. Application of liquid glass in the form of a primer (waterproofing) on ​​the surface of the finished concrete block. However, it is better to apply another layer of cement mixture containing liquid glass after such a primer. In this way, ordinary concrete products can also be protected from moisture (the main thing is to apply a primer and plaster layer no later than a day after pouring, or chip and pre-wet the surface, otherwise the adhesion of the layers will be weak).

The addition of liquid glass increases the curing rate of the finished concrete mixture (it hardens in 4-5 minutes), and the faster, the more concentrated the glass solution was. Therefore, such concrete is prepared in small portions, and the glass must be diluted with water.

Glass-filled concrete with fiber (glass fiber reinforced concrete)

Concrete reinforced with alkali-resistant fiberglass (fiber) is called glass fiber reinforced concrete. It consists of fine-grained concrete-matrix filled with sand (no more than 50%) and pieces of glass fiber (fiber). In terms of compressive strength, such concrete is twice as strong as usual, in terms of bending and tensile strength, on average, 4-5 times (up to 20 times), impact strength is 15 times higher.

Fiberglass concrete has high chemical resistance and frost resistance. However, filling concrete with fiber is a rather complicated process, since the fiber must be distributed evenly. Introduce it into the dry mixture. Filling with fiber increases the rigidity of the mixture, it is less plastic, compacts worse, and requires mandatory vibrocompaction in a large layer. Sheet materials are produced by spraying and spraying.

Fiberglass concrete

This material is also called Litrakon, after the name that this material received from its inventor, the Hungarian architect Aron Losonci.

It is made on the basis of concrete-matrix and specially oriented long glass (including optical) fibers. The level of transparency and color reproduction of the material depends on the number and location of optical fibers. In this case, the thickness of the block can be increased, if necessary, up to ten meters - as much as the optical fiber allows, and it can, of course, be of any length. The material is still very expensive, about $ 1000 per square meter, however, developments are underway to reduce its cost.

Glass-filled concrete with cullet

This type of concrete saves on filling materials, replacing sand and gravel with cullet and closed glass containers (tubes, ampoules, balls). Moreover, crushed stone can be replaced by glass by 20–100%, without loss of strength and with a significant reduction in the weight of the finished block. As a rule, this type of concrete is for industrial production: it is manufactured at enterprises and used in them, because it has high acid resistance and relatively low alkali resistance.

Glass concrete with glass as a binder

Glass is sorted, crushed and ground, and then sifted through screens, divided into fractions. Particles larger than 5 mm are used as coarse aggregate, less than 5 mm instead of sand, and finely ground powder as a binder. However, if it is possible to finely grind glass, this concrete can be made independently.

Glass powder, when mixed with water, by itself, does not show astringent properties, a catalyst is needed. In an alkaline environment (soda ash), cullet dissolves, forming silicic acids, which soon begin to turn into a gel. This gel binds aggregate fractions and after curing (at normal or elevated temperature, it depends on the properties of glass and filler), a durable and strong silicate conglomerate is obtained - acid-resistant glass concrete.

This type of glass concrete can also be made in the Tako2 concrete mixer. It is possible to produce concrete in a concrete mixer only on a silicate binder. First, dry components are mixed for 4-5 minutes (sand, crushed stone, ground filler and hardener (sodium silicate fluoride), then liquid glass with a modifying additive is poured into a rotating concrete mixer. The mixture is mixed for 3-5 minutes, until homogeneous. The viability of the mixture on this binder will be only 40-45 min Such concrete is not inferior in its properties to materials made from traditional binders, while surpassing them in biostability, thermal conductivity, acid resistance.This is important if the soils on which the foundation is laid have an acidic reaction.

Glass concrete is widely used and, due to its properties, is in great demand for the production of finishing panels, gratings, fences, walls, partitions, ceilings, decor, complex architectural or transparent roofs, pipes, noise barriers, cornices, tiles, cladding and many other products.