ABSTRACT
The control of waste generated by Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) which is commonly used for PET bottles and containers has been a challenge to the world. This research recycled this material by grinding it to small pellets. Compressed earth bricks of size 100×140×140 mm were stabilized with cement at 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5% and 10%. The PET pellets were mixed with each stabilized compressed earth brick at 0%, 5%, 10% and 15%, They were designated as C1, C2, C3, and C4 respectively and used for compressive test; other sets of compressed earth bricks of size 100×140×240 mm were also stabilized with cement at the same percentage and mixed with the PET pellets and designated as B1, B2, B3, B4 respectively. These sample were used for flexural strength test. The results of the compressive strength of all the samples without the pellets ranged between 0.86 – 5.71 N/mm2, while samples that contained pellets ranged between 0.8 – 3.8 N/mm2 at 28 days. The flexural strength test result showed that at more than 5% addition of PET pellets, the flexural strength obtained begins to reduce. The work concluded that cement stabilized earth bricks can be mixed with 5% PET pellet.
