College - Author 1

College of Architecture and Environmental Design

Department - Author 1

Architectural Engineering Department

Degree Name - Author 1

BS in Architectural Engineering

College - Author 2

College of Architecture and Environmental Design

Department - Author 2

Architectural Engineering Department

Degree - Author 2

BS in Architectural Engineering

College - Author 3

College of Architecture and Environmental Design

Department - Author 3

Architectural Engineering Department

Degree - Author 3

BS in Architectural Engineering

College - Author 4

College of Architecture and Environmental Design

Department - Author 4

Architectural Engineering Department

Degree - Author 4

BS in Architectural Engineering

Date

4-2024

Primary Advisor

Cameron Fredrickson, College of Architecture and Environmental Design, Architectural Engineering Department

Abstract/Summary

5.25 trillion plastic particles have been found in the oceans each year, 3 million water bottles are consumed each hour, and one million plastic bags are used each minute in the United States of America (Williams). The vast majority of conventional plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and more, are non-biodegradable (Tokiwa). To make matters worse, 70% of this non-biodegradable plastic is discarded into landfills and inevitably makes its way into the environment (Williams,). Plastic products have become vital to the United States economy due to their many uses in the construction, packaging, transportation, and health care industries. However, this dependence on plastic requires an all-time high of plastic production, which severely impacts our environment throughout the entire life cycle; extraction and conversion, transport, production, distribution, use, and disposal (Williams). These negative impacts solidify the importance of finding sustainable uses for the increase in plastic production and therefore disposal into the environment.

In response to this call to action, this project investigated the viability of recycled No. 5 Polypropylene Plastic (PP) as a construction material. The process involved collecting and shredding recycled PP, which was then fed into an extruder heated to about 230 to 265 degrees Celsius. The molten PP was subsequently poured into a professionally fabricated CMU block mold to form either a block or a slab. To evaluate the potential of Polypropylene as a viable building material, a series of rigorous tests were conducted, including Compression, Tensile, UV, and Flame tests. To further explore the practicality of recycled PP as a building material, we applied lime plaster to the samples and subjected it to UV testing. All of which yielded promising results.

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