Improving the Reflectivity of Concrete Barriers by Substituting Recycled Glass Aggregate

Abstract

On the roadways of the United States, the need to improve the visibility of highway concrete barriers is
necessitated by the rise in the number of accidents that occur at night and in wet weather conditions. The degree
to which these delineators reflect light determines how easily they may be seen. The use of white cement as
opposed to grey cement and the attachment of raised pavement markings to the side of the barriers are two of
the recommended strategies for increasing the reflectivity of these concrete barriers. There are also a few more
approaches that have the potential to improve the reflectivity of these concrete barriers. One of the suggested
approaches that was subjected to more laboratory research was to include recycled glass into the concrete
mixture. The purpose of the laboratory study was to determine the appropriate mixing proportions that reduce
the risk of an alkali-silica reaction (ASR) occurring in recycled glass aggregate concretes without having any
detrimental impacts on the compressive strength of the concrete. In addition, the retro reflectivity of various
concrete mixes was measured and analyzed, and the results are reported in this study.