NON-SHEET FORM STRUCTURAL BUILDING ELEMENT CONTAINING GLASS CULLET & PROCESS FOR MAKING SAME

摘要

A process for the production of a non-sheet form structural building element incorporating glass cullet, preferably from consumer waste glass streams, which glass cullet has a particle size distribution of −½″+12 mesh in an amount from 1% to 50% by weight and imparts an appearance simulating natural quarried stone, or terrazzo, and the non-sheet form structural building element made from this process. The composition of the building element also includes Portland cement, and one or more of concrete sand, stone aggregate, blast furnace slag and one or more of silica fume, silica sand and silica flour. The method includes a two-step curing process which involves curing a preform formed by molding of the concrete mixture without the addition of heat or steam for a first curing period, followed by curing of the preform in an autoclave, at temperatures ranging from 250 to 366° F. and at pressures ranging from 100 to 150 p.s.i. for a second curing period. The building element thus formed is highly resistant to degradation caused by the alkali-silica reaction, and exhibits high compressive strengths as compared to known concrete products incorporating glass cullet.

主权项

1. A process for production of a non-sheet form structural building element simulating terrazzo or quarried stone comprising the steps of:
a) mixing glass cullet having a particle size distribution of −½″+12 mesh in an amount of from 1% to 50% of the total weight of the non-sheet form structural building element with one or more materials selected from a first group of materials consisting of concrete sand, stone aggregate and blast furnace slag to form a first admixture; b) mixing Portland cement with one or more materials selected from a second group of materials consisting of silica fume, silica sand and silica flour to form a second admixture; c) mixing the first admixture with the second admixture and water to form a final mixture; d) transferring the final mixture into a molding means to form a preform having the desired shape of said non-sheet form structural building element; e) compacting the preform within the molding means; f) curing said preform without the addition of heat or steam for a first curing period; g) in an autoclave, following step f), further curing the preform in said one or more molds at temperatures ranging from 250 to 365° F. and at pressures ranging from 100 to 150 p.s.i. for a second curing period.