Fresh and hardened properties of cement mortars with waste glass fine aggregate

Waste glass residue after recycling procedures is increasingly becoming an environmental problem, as it cannot be reinserted into the process and has to be disposed in landfi lls. In the last decades, research is pushing towards fi nding new environmental-friendly approaches to recycle industrial and urban waste. Cementitious materials are a very interesting alternative to common disposing practices, as the extraction and processing of raw materials (e.g. sand, cement) cause environmental damages and high pollutant emissions. Several studies have shown the possibility of partially replacing sand with crushed glass aggregate obtaining mortars meeting the Standard’s requirements. This paper presents the results of experimental tests assessing fresh and hardened properties of mortars made using glass cullet to replace sand aggregate in diff erent percentages. Obtained results show that glass mortars are equally or less workable (depending on the substitution rate), slightly lighter and absorb more or as much water than traditional sand mortars do.