Analysis of compressive strength and water absorbency behavior in textile waste fiber- reinforced cement paving blocks

Abstract

As the global population expands and living standards rise, fiber consumption has increased significantly over the past few decades. It results in significant amounts of pre-consumer and post-consumer fiber waste. From them, a considerable amount of textile waste ended up in landfills or incinerated. According to literature, in 2015, the textile and apparel industry consumed approximately 53 million tons of textile fiber, of which 73% was landfilled or incinerated [1]. Less than 1% of the material is recycled for new clothing. Closedloop recycling is essential for sustainability but has limitations such as high cost and processing challenges. Upcycling offers a practical alternative by converting waste into high-value products [2]. Therefore, upcycling should be considered as an alternative rather than only relying on closed-loop recycling. In this research, the aim is to manufacture textile fiberreinforced cement paving block which manages textile waste and adds value to the product. Nowadays paving blocks are widely used in pavements, sidewalks, and other areas due to their easy installation, low maintenance, aesthetic appeal, and durability. However, they also have disadvantages such as high cost, low strength, and the possibility of damage due to heavy loads. By using fiber waste for reinforcement, the project aims to improve the strength of pavement blocks while addressing the challenges of fiber waste disposal. That means they produce preconsumer and post-consumer waste. This research integrates recycled polyester and polyester fiber waste into the production of cement paving blocks. The research focuses on an extensive experimental program to investigate the effectiveness of incorporating short random fibers (10-30 mm in length) of polyester waste fibers and recycled polyester waste fibers. The fibers are used at volume contents of 0.25%, 0.50%, and 0.75% by weight of the cement mixture, into cement paving block reinforcement. According to the study [3], it is recommended to investigate the setting for imparting vibration to the mold and compaction through compression. Then, the researchers applied the solid compaction technique combined with vibration and pressure, which is now called Vibropressing. It increases their density and strength by distributing the cement mixture evenly and removing air pockets. The research incorporates the vibropressing method to manufacture fiber-reinforced cement paving blocks. To determine the optimal fiber volume content as the key parameter, the Compressive strength and water absorbency tests are evaluated. Additionally, the evaluation aims to identify the best fiber type for the reinforcement of polyester waste fiber and recycled polyester waste fiber. The findings will contribute to optimizing the performance of cement paving blocks while promoting sustainable practices.