Abstract
In light of the environmental challenges posed by the accumulation of plastic and glass waste, this study aims to develop a sustainable construction material for producing interlocking paving blocks by utilizing recycled plastic concrete enhanced with glass powder as a pozzolanic additive. The study seeks to evaluate the mechanical and physical performance of the resulting mixes through the design of five experimental mixtures with varying replacement ratios of plastic as a partial or full substitute for fine aggregate, and glass powder as a partial replacement for cement. The manufacturing process relied on low-energy mechanical compaction methods (manual pressing and vibration) without thermal curing, in order to enhance the project’s environmental and economic aspects. The specimens were tested for compressive strength after curing periods of 7 and 28 days. The results showed that replacing 30% of the cement with glass powder led to a significant improvement in compressive strength, while higher plastic content without additional enhancements resulted in reduced strength. The fifth mixture, containing balanced proportions of plastic (10%) and glass powder (15%) with the addition of silica fume, achieved the highest mechanical performance, confirming the effectiveness of combining these recycled materials. The study concludes that modified plastic concrete can be efficiently used in producing paving blocks for sidewalks and walkways, provided that replacement ratios are carefully adjusted and internal bonding is improved through the use of pozzolanic materials such as glass powder, thereby contributing to sustainability goals and reducing dependence on high-emission conventional resources.