College of Information Technology and Engineering

Department of Civil Engineering

CIE 043 – Construction Materials and Testing

Utilization of High-Density Polyethylene

Submitted by:
ABALOS, ARDY S.
ANDES, PAMELA JANE DL.
BALDANO, MARIELLE R.
BUMATAY, JESSA MAE H.
MARTIN, ANGELICA MARIE

Submitted to:

ENGR.CRISTALYN D. GACUYA
Instructor

Date of Submission:
November 12, 2021

Date Submitted:
UTILIZATION OF HIGH-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE…

CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

In this chapter, the researchers discuss the methods, process, tests and the result of test,

and equipment to prove that the HDPE Plastic and River Clay can be utilized in pavement

bricks.

3.1 Methods

The methods used in this study were quantitative and experimental research. It is

quantitative in the sense that it allows researchers to use statistics to analyze and measure the

data. It is also experimental in the sense that comparisons of the subjects to be tested will be

gathered using apparatuses and mathematical analysis.

3.2 Process

The first step that the researchers did is to gather the main materials like the plastic

containers with HDPE sign number 2 and gathering river clay. Other materials were also

collected in Public Market. Second step is to make sure that the needed materials are completely

gathered and prepared. Third all the plastic containers were then cleaned and dried. River clay

was also dried by sun drying. Fourth, plastic containers were cut into smaller pieces and

weighted. River clay was crushed into a powder form and then weighted also, separated into

three containers with designated weight written on each container. The first treatment (T1)

contains 25 g of river clay and 250 g of HDPE Plastic. Second treatment (T2) contains 50 g of

river clay and 250 g of HDPE Plastic. And third treatment (T3) contains 75 g of river clay and

250 g of HDPE Plastic. The amount of cooking oil needed must be 320 ml. Gathered materials

were now prepared. The next step is to boil the cooking oil in the right temperature and when it

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is hot, plastic containers that were cut into smaller pieces can now be put. Plastics will melt after

a short while; river clay can now be added into melted plastics. When river clay is added, mixed

well immediately till the plastic and river clay looks like a “champorado” and can now be ready

to put into the moulder. Wait for twenty-four hours to cool and solidify the moulded bricks. After

twenty-four hours, remove the moulded bricks in the moulder. The brick is now done and ready

to use. Data were then collected after testing the product.

3.3 Tests

The results of each test was then gathered and analysed. The researchers computed the

overall significance of the dependent variable which is the HDPE Plastic and River Clay with the

independent variables which is the strength, water and heat resistance, and durability. The

researchers also used bivariate analysis to find the relationship between kN (force) to test the

strength of the HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastic and clay bricks and Mpa (durability)

and one-sample test to find the significant difference between kN (force) to test the strength of

the HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastic and clay bricks and Mpa (durability).

Testing of Strength, Durability and Resistance

The HDPE Plastic and River Clay bricks have undergone a drop test to determine its

strength by computing the impact force before it broke. The formula for the impact force of a

falling object is,

mgh
F= where,
d
m = mass of the object (kg)
g = acceleration of gravity (9.81 m/s2)
h = height of the fall (m)

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d = distance travelled after impact (m)

compression machine tested at Nueva Ecija Materials Testing Center (NEMATEC) to determine

its durability. The HDPE Plastic and River Clay bricks were compressed until it cracked and

broke. In testing of water resistance, the HDPE Plastic and River Clay bricks were submerged in

7 litres of water for 24 hours and were collected afterwards. The researchers measured the weight

of the HDPE Plastic and River Clay bricks in the water before and after submerging the bricks.

While in thermal tolerance, the researchers also put the bricks under direct sunlight for 8 hours

for 3 days in order to know if the HDPE Plastic and River Clay bricks could withstand the heat.

The HDPE Plastic and River Clay bricks didn’t show any kind of deformation due to the heat.

Result

In this section presents the results of the test of the experiment in terms of correlation and

significant difference between strength or force (kN) and durability Mpa) of the product.

Results of Treatments in kN and Mpa

Treatments kN Mpa

25 g clay, 250 g HDPE 0.0067 kN 2.68 Mpa

50 g clay, 250 g HDPE 0.010 kN 3.04 Mpa

75 g clay, 250 g HDPE 0.012 kN 2.77 Mpa

Table 1

Correlation between kN and Mpa

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Correlations

kN Mpa
Pearson Correlation 1 .374
kN Sig. (2-tailed) .756
N 3 3
Pearson Correlation .374 1
Mpa Sig. (2-tailed) .756
N 3 3

Bivariate analysis has been computed using SPSS to find the relationship between kN

(force) to test the strength of the HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastic and clay bricks and

Mpa (durability). In Table 1, in kN, the pearson correlation in kN is 1 and in the Mpa is .374.

While in Mpa the pearson correlation in kN is .374 and in Mpa is 1.

Table 2

Descriptive Statistic

N Mean Std. Deviation

kN 3 .0096 .00268
Mpa 3 2.8300 .18735

Descriptive statistics has been computed using SPSS to find the significant difference

between kN (force) to test the strength of the HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastic and clay

bricks and Mpa (durability).

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Table 3

Inferential Statistic

Test Value = 0

t P-value Mean Difference

kN 6.191 .025 .00957

Mpa 26.163 .001 2.83000

Inferential Statistics was used to determine the T, P-value and mean difference of the kN

and Mpa.

Correlation between kN and Mpa, Bivariate analysis has been computed using SPSS to

find the relationship between kN (force) to test the strength of the HDPE (high-density

polyethylene) plastic and clay bricks and Mpa (durability). It shows that there was positive weak

relationship between the variables. Also, the test variables were not statistically significant.

It has been computed using SPSS to find the significant difference between kN (force) to

test the strength of the HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastic and clay bricks and Mpa

(durability). It shows that there was a significant difference between the test variables with. Also,

the test variables were not statistically significant difference.

Strength Test

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The researchers dropped the HDPE plastic and river clay bricks at a constant height of

7.5 meters to compute the impact force that will break the bricks. The first brick (T1) did not

totally broke but there’s a little damage on the edges with the impact force 0.0067 kN. Second

brick (T2) at 0.010 kN did not also broke but there’s a little damage on the edges. Third brick

(T3) at 0.012 kN did not also broke but there’s a little damage on the edges. The impact force

differs when the mass of the object and the distance of the object after the impact changes. The

higher you start your fall, the larger is your velocity at the moment of impact (Pawlak J.M,

2015)The HDPE plastic and river clay can no longer accept any higher impact force than 0.0067

kN for the first, 0.010 kN for the second, and 0.012 kN for the third. The third brick or T3

accumulated the highest impact force at 0.012 kN.

Durability Test

The HDPE plastic and river clay bricks undergone compression test to determine the

compressive force it could hold before breaking using the compression machine. The

compressive strength of a material is the resistance of a material to breaking under compression

and is the amount of energy it could hold before breaking. The first brick (T1) has a force of

29.21 kN and can withstand compressive strength of 389 Psi and with 2.68 Mpa. Second brick

(T2) at 0.010 kN and can withstand compressive strength of 441 Psi and with 3.04 Mpa. Third

brick (T3) at 0.012 kN and can withstand compressive strength of 402 Psi and with 2.77 Mpa.

The higher the compressive strength, the durable it could be. The durability of concrete is

affected by its porosity, which also affects its compressive strength (Alizadeh, A. 2018) The

Second brick (T2) accumulated the highest compressive strength that can withstand at 441 Psi

and with 3.04 Mpa.

Thermal Tolerance Test

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After 24 hours (8 hours for 3 days) of being put directly to the sun, the HDPE plastic and

river clay bricks were taken and prove that it could withstand the heat. The HDPE Plastic and

River Clay bricks didn’t show any kind of deformation due to the heat.

Water Resistance Test

After 24 hours of being submerged, the HDPE plastic and river clay bricks were

taken and the final volume of water was calculated. The initial and final volume of all the

bricks remained equal and showed 100% of water resistance.

3.4 Equipment

The researchers utilized experimentation and observation for it is easier to know the

information exactly and it is more accurate for the researchers to understand the outcome or the

result of the experiment.

The researchers used the following materials to come up with the accurate result which

involves with the necessary data gathered. The researchers used casserole which is a small or

large, deep pan used to hold the HDPE plastic and River clay for the experiment. Container was

used to hold the materials that were prepared. Cooking oil was used as the binder for the

experiment. HDPE Plastic which is a type of plastic that was used as one of the main materials

for the experiment. River Clay which is a type of clay that was used as one of the main materials

for the experiment. Spatula was used for lifting, mixing, flipping, or spreading and have a handle

that is long enough to keep the holder's hand away from what is being lifted or spread, as well as

away from a hot surface. Strainer was used for separating wanted elements from unwanted

material or for characterizing the particle size distribution of a sample for the experiment.

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Weighing scale was used to measure the weight of the prepared materials like cooking oil,

powdered clay and melted plastic.

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