Mechanical and Durability Performance of Concrete Incorporating Electronic Plastic Waste as Fine Aggregate: An Experimental Investigation with Predictive Modeling

The rapid pace of urban expansion and population growth has led to an increased demand for concrete, resulting in the extensive depletion of natural aggregates such as sand.Simultaneously, the accumulation of electronic plastic waste (EPW) has become a critical environmental concern due to improper disposal practices and its non-biodegradable nature.This study investigates the feasibility of using EPW as a partial replacement for fine aggregates in concrete to address both resource depletion and waste management challenges.Five concrete mixes were prepared with EPW replacing sand at 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by weight.Mechanical properties-including compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and flexural strength-were evaluated at 7 and 28 days of curing, along with durability characteristics such as water permeability and electrical resistivity.The results demonstrated a decline in mechanical properties with increasing EPW content, with the highest reductions recorded at the 20% replacement level.In contrast, durability improved with higher EPW percentages.The mix with 15% EPW showed the best improvement in water permeability (28.81%), while the 20% EPW mix achieved the highest increase in electrical resistance (250.76%)compared to the control mix.Additionally, machine learning models were used to predict mechanical performance, with Linear Regression (LR) outperforming Random Forest (RF) in terms of predictive accuracy.These findings suggest that incorporating up to 15% EPW as a sand replacement in concrete is a promising, sustainable approach that enhances durability while contributing to plastic waste reduction.