TEAM HERAL
PANJIM: Yes this has happened. Two institutes in Bicholim and Bath have met to collaborate on a unique innovative research to use plastic bags instead of sand in concrete mixture for building beams, slabs and columns.
Once it is tested and parameters met it could possibly take care of the State’s two burning issues – plastic waste and sand for construction. The difference in strength of this plastic material when compared to sand is 3%. But before it can be used commercially it has to be tested for its reaction to fire, its reaction to chemical mixtures generally used in the construction industry and whether there is any degeneration in strength after 10 years.
The ground breaking research done by an institute situated at Bicholim has now tied up with the University of Bath in England, to test the product on parameters like whether it will emit poisonous chemicals in case the building catches fire, the durability of the concrete after 10 years as well as the effect when added mixtures like chemicals to strengthen the product or water proofing compounds.
“We have found that when we used plastic carry bags, there is only a decrease in strength of 3%. However, when we used pet bottles and moulded plastic, the strength reduced by some 10-15%,” project head, former lecturer at the Bicholim Polytechnic and present professor at the Goa College of Engineering Dr Purnanand Savoikar, said in a media briefing.
Dr John Orr, assistant professor, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Bath, who is in Goa now to meet Dr Savoikar and present for the Monday’s interaction with the media, said that they would be working on the 2-year project between Bicholim Polytechnic and Bath University facilitated by the British Council.
“India is the second largest user of concrete after China. We have sophisticated equipment and we will use these facilities to create data on the durability of sustainable concrete,” Dr Orr said.
When asked why and how the association with Bath University came about, Dr Savoikar said that the university had all the latest technology like the scan electron microscope, CT scan etc to test the concrete including aging it by increasing the carbon content and checking the strength or rather the degradation of strength after say 10 years in 10 minutes.
“We are excited because it will help in solving some major problems. At the first level, they have succeeded. Now it is going to the second level,” Mangurish Pai Raikar, former GCCI chief and involved with the Bicholim Polytechnic, whose study triggered off the project said.
Dr Richard Paul also from the University of Bath said that the project was trying to produce sustainable concrete to reduce impact on environment.
