Expanded glass as light-weight aggregate in concrete – A review

The versatile applicability of glass products has brought a drastic increase in the amount of glass waste generated, urging to its proper utilization. Light-weight expanded glass is a type of sustainable artificial light-weight aggregate produced by mixing glass wastes and expansive agents under special conditions. The highly porous granules are efficient thermal insulating light-weight material primarily used to prepare light-weight concrete. Over the past few years, extensive research has been carried out to improve the properties of concrete incorporated with expanded/foamed glass. This paper is aimed to present an in-depth review of expanded glass aggregate in terms of its composition, flowability, thermal insulation, physical, mechanical, and durability properties. Special emphasis has been given to study the influence of alkali-silica reactions on the behavior of expanded glass concrete, and the results were encouraging despite the presence of a high amount of reactive amorphous silica in the expanded glass. This study is a novel initiative that accumulated the findings of expanded glass aggregate for its broad acceptance and usability in construction industry giving a promising solution to circular economy and an insight to cleaner technologies. There is plenty of research showing feasibility of glass in variant fields but widened research on expanded glass aggregate has not been presented in the past. [Display omitted] •Gives an insight to circular economy and cleaner technologies.•Suitable to use as a structural concrete for even lower density of 1000 kg/m3.•Excellent frost resistant, prohibits alkali-silica reaction expansion in mortar.•Density and thermal conductivity reduces with Increase in expanded glass aggregate.•Increase in the concentration can increase the risk of carbonation.