An ultra-lightweight engineered cementitious composite (ULW-ECC) using waste recycled glass bubble would be a smart approach combining sustainability, lightness, and strength. Here’s a structured breakdown of what this involves:
Core Idea
Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECCs) are a class of high-performance fiber-reinforced cement-based materials known for high ductility (strain-hardening behavior) and crack control (tiny microcracks instead of big fractures).
Waste recycled glass bubbles are tiny spherical particles with a very low density, made from recycled glass waste, offering benefits like light weight, thermal insulation, and reduced material cost.
How It Works
Replacing a portion of cementitious material (cement, silica fume, etc.) with glass bubble reduces the composite density dramatically.
Glass bubble act as micro-aggregates that introduce controlled air voids, cutting down weight while still keeping strength manageable.
If properly balanced, the toughness and ductility of ECC can still be maintained by adding fibers (like PVA fibers).
Thermal insulation improves thanks to the low thermal conductivity of glass bubbles.
Environmental impact is lowered — you use recycled glass waste and less cement, which means lower CO₂ emissions.
Challenges to Solve
Bonding between glass bubble and cement matrix (can be poor because of the glass surface).
Crushability of glass bubble during mixing if not careful.
Optimization of fiber type, volume, and HGM content to keep ECC behavior.
Water absorption issues if glass bubble are porous (depending on their manufacturing quality).