Mechanical properties of concrete mixes with Selectively Crushed Wind Turbine Blade: Comparison with Raw-Crushing

The glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) materials of wind turbine blades can be recovered and recycled by crushing, thereby solving one of the most perplexing problems facing the wind energy sector. This process yields selectively crushed wind turbine blade (SCWTB), a novel waste that is almost exclusively composed of GFRP composite fibers that can be revalued in terms of their use as a raw material in concrete production. In this research, the fresh and mechanical performance of concrete made with 1.5%, 3.0%, 4.5%, and 6.0% SCWTB is studied. Once incorporated into concrete mixes, SCWTB waste slightly reduced slumps due to the large specific surface area of the fibers, and the stitching effect of the fibers on mechanical behavior was generally adequate, as scanning electron microscopy demonstrated good fiber adhesion within the cementitious matrix. Thus, despite the increase in the content of water and plasticizers when adding this waste to preserve workability, the compressive strength only decreased in the long term with the addition of 6.0% SCWTB, a value of 45 MPa always being reached at 28 days; Poisson’s coefficient remained constant from 3.0% SCWTB; splitting tensile strength was maintained at around 4.7 MPa up to additions of 3.0% SCWTB; and the flexural strength of mixes containing 6.0% and 1.5% SCWTB was statistically equal, with a value near 6.1 MPa. Furthermore, all mechanical properties of the concrete except for flexural strength were improved with additions of SCWTB compared to raw crushed wind turbine blade, which apart from GFRP composite fibers contains approximately spherical polymer and balsa wood particles. Flexural strength was conditioned by the proportion of fibers, their dimensions, and their strength, which were almost identical for both waste types. SCWTB would be preferable for applications in which compression stresses predominate.

This research work was supported by MICIU, AEI, EU, ERDF and NextGenerationEU/PRTR [grant numbers PID2020-113837RB-I00; 10.13039/501100011033; PID2023-146642OB-I00; TED2021-129715B-I00]; the Junta de Castilla y León (Regional Government) and ERDF [grant number UIC-231; BU033P23]; and, finally, the University of Burgos [grant number SUCONS, Y135.GI]