PAPERCRETE

ABSTRACT
The majority of abandoned waste paper accumulating from the countries all over the
world causes certain serious environmental problems. The high volume of concrete offers
a complete solution to the problem of meeting the increasing demands for concrete in the
future in a sustainable manner and at a reduced cost. At the same time, it is necessary to
reduce the environmental impact of industries that are vital to economic development.
The strength of the concrete produced is dependent on the quality of aggregates used.
According to simple compressive and tensile test, papercrete has 1.2MPa compressive
strength and 2-5MPa Tensile strength. However these properties of papercrete vary with
paper mixing ratio, Aggregate is one of the main ingredients of a concrete,
Approximately 75% of the total for any concrete mix is covered by aggregate. Papercrete
is a new construction material made most often with waste paper, cement, fine aggregate
and water. This type of material is considered environmental friendly material, papercrete
is a sustainable, building material due to reduced amount of waste paper being put to
pretty use. It gains inherent strength due to presence of hydrogen bonds in microstructure
of paper. Papercrete has low cost as compared with alternative building construction
material and it has good fire-resistant, sound absorption and thermal insulation. It had
been used to build low cost homes, the papercrete bricks are relatively low cost, light
weight and more flexible and they are most suitable for earthquake prone areas. This
brick does not expand or contract so that the glass block can be embedded and trimmed
with papercrete. However, un-coated bricks are not suitable for water logging and
external walls. They can be used in inner portion walls. The uses of papercrete brick
masonry not only result in the reduced dead load of structure, it also offers high ductility
& energy characteristics. Therefore the papercrete bricks are suitable material for
earthquake prone areas.

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CHAPTER - 1

1. INTRODUCTION

There are many ways to build an inexpensive shelter, depending on where you live, and
what kinds of materials you have available – the most common alternative materials
include some combination of rocks, dirt, concrete, old tales and paper.
Figuring conservatively, it takes about fifteen trees to make a ton of paper. It
means that 720 million trees are used once and then buried in a landfill as a waste per
year. A ways to turn these amount of waste into low-cost, high-value sustainable housing
and it is the new technique called papercrete.
Papercrete, is a recently developed construction material which consists of re-
pulped paper fiber with Portland cement or clay. It is recognized as an environment-
friendly material due to significant recycled content. It was discovered by Eric Patterson
and Mike McCain independently and they named their invention Padobe and Fibrous
cement. The main constituents of papercrete are: paper, fine aggregate, and Portland
cement. Papercrete may be mixed in many ways. Different types of papercrete contain
50-80 percent of waste paper. Up to now, there is no hard and fast rules, but
recommended standards is 60% of paper slurry, 30% screened dirt or sand, 10% Portland
cement. Any kind of paper like cardboard, glossy magazine stock, lower grade paper is
acceptable.

1.1 NEED OF ADOPTING PAPERCRETE

Even though about a percentage of discarded paper is recycled annually, tons of paper is
thrown away or goes into the landfills. To save landfill space and keep paper processing
and to make paper recycled, papercrete is the best method to make use of the paper which
is rejected as a waste. The use of papers , reduces about 10-15% of cement in papercrete.

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CHAPTER - 2

2. INNOVATION OF PAPERCRETE

Papercrete is a fibrous cementitious compound comprising of waste paper and Portland

cement. These two components are blended with water to create a paper cement pulp,
which can then be poured into a mould, allowed to dry and be utilized as a durable
building material.
Papercrete has three derivatives, namely fibrous concrete, padobe and fidobe.
 Fibrous concrete: Fibrous concrete is a composite material consisting of concrete
matrix containing a random dispersion of small fibers. It is the mixture of paper,
Portland cement, water. There are no harmful by-products or excessive energy use
in the production of papercrete.
 Padobe: Padobe has no Portland cement, it is admix paper, water, earth with clay.
Here clay is binding material instead of using the cement. By adding paper fiber to
the earth mix strengthens the drying block.
 Fidobe: Fidobe is like padobe, but it may contain other fibrous materials like fiber,
nylon, asbestos.

3. CONSTITUENTS OF PAPERCRETE

3.1 Cement
The word cement has come from the Roman ward “Opus Caementicium”. Among the
various kinds, 53 grade Ordinary Portland cement is most commonly used as binding
material. About 10-25% of cement and water-cement ratio of 0.5-0.6 are used in
papercrete.

3.2 Fine aggregate

Aggregates are the important constituents. They give body to the concrete, the aggregates
occupy 70-80% of the volume of concrete, their impact on various characteristics and
properties of concrete is undoubtedly considerable. Fine aggregate used is river sand or
manufactured sand (M-Sand) passing through a sieve size between 4.75mm to 0.150mm.

3.3 Paper pulp

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Paper is the main ingredient of papercrete and hence the properties of papercrete depend
on the microstructure of the paper used. Paper is an anisotropic material and the quality
and strength of its fibers differs depending on several factors. They are: the type of wood,
the percentage of recycled paper, the amount of water in the pulp, the way of pulping
(chemical or mechanical) and the speed of drying. Cardboard, newspapers, magazines
are most commonly used papers.

Properties of paper

Properties values
Weight 47GSM
Thickness 0.06mm
Moisture 7.5%
Bursting Strength 168 kPa
Tearing resistance 12.6 kg
Tensile Strength 1.13 kg

Paper pulp

3.4 Water
Water is an important ingredient of concrete as it actively participates in the chemical
reaction with cement. Strength of cement depends on the quantity and quality of water
used. Water used for making and curing concrete should be free from injurious substance
such as oil, acid, alkali, salt, sugar, organic materials and other elements which
deleterious to concrete and steel. Portable water is suitable for making concrete.

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CHAPTER - 3

4. MANUFACTURE OF PAPER-CRETE BRICKS

4.1 Generation of Pulp for Paper-Crete Bricks

The papers which were collected could not be used directly. Before mixing with other
ingredients, papers were converted into slurry form, known as pulp. First the pins, threads
and other materials were removed. Then the papers were torn into small pieces and all the
torn pieces of paper were immersed in water. The papers were kept in water for 3 to 5
days, and they soon degraded into a paste like form. After that period, the papers were
taken out from water and ground in a mixer to obtain the paper pulp. The pulp is later
taken on non-absorbent plate after having the extra water squeezed out. No additional
water was added unless it was essential.

4.2 Casting of Specimen for Paper-Crete Bricks

After paper pulp was generated, first dry ingredients such as cement, river or M-
sand were taken out on the weight basis and all the dry mixes were mixed
uniformly. Then, these dry mixes were sprinkled over the required amount of paper
pulp and mixed uniformly. Then the machine oil was applied to the inner surfaces
of mould for easy removing of mould and without causing any damage to the
specimen. The mix was then poured into the mould by three layers and fully
compacted. Casting was completed and then the specimen was laid on the laying
table. After 15 min, the mould was removed carefully from the specimen. Then the
specimen is allowed to dry naturally over time, with much air circulation around it
as possible. After 28 days of air drying, i.e., on hearing the metallic sound when
striking out the brick surface, the specimen was ready for testing.

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CHAPTER - 4

5. TESTS CONDUCTED

The following tests were carried out to check the strength of the brick.

5.1 Compressive Strength:

Compressive strength is determined according to B.S 1881 : Part 116, 1983 (18). This test

was conducted on the 7th, 14th and 21st day from the date of casting of the paper-crete
bricks.

5.2 Water Absorption Test:

The procedure for water absorption test for bricks was conducted as per IS: 3495 –
Part 2. A brick is taken and weighed dry. It was then immersed in water for a period of
24 hours. It was weighed again and the difference in weight indicates the amount of
water absorbed by the brick. It should not, in any case, exceed 20% of weight of dry
brick. Water absorption value of bricks largely influences the bond between brick and
mortar. If water absorption in bricks is more and bricks are not soaked before the masonry
work, the water from freshly laid mortar is likely to be absorbed by bricks. This results
into poor mortar strength as the sufficient quantity of water will not be available for
hydration process.

5.3 Efflorescence Test:

This test was conducted to know the presence of any alkaline matter in paper-crete
bricks. The brick samples were taken and placed along their ends in a dish. The
depth of immersion in water was 2.5 cm. The whole arrangement is placed in a
warm, well- ventilated room until the water evaporates in the dish. When the water
is completely absorbed and the brick appears to be dry, the same procedure is
repeated. The bricks are later examined for efflorescence after second evaporation.
If the white deposit covers about 10% surface, the efflorescence is said to be slight
and it is considered as moderate, when the white deposit cover about 50% surface.
If grey or white deposits are found on more than 50% of surface, the efflorescence
becomes heavy and it is treated as serious.

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5.4 Fire Resistance Test:

A brick which is used for construction should not be flammable in open flame. The
paper-crete bricks just smoldered like charcoal. But if these bricks are exposed to fire
for several hours, they will become ashes. Interior plaster and exterior stucco should
be provided on these bricks, to prevent them from getting burnt.

6. Properties of Papercrete

Percentage of Compressive Water Absorption Density in Kg/m^3

paper strength in in %
N/mm^2
20% 5.9 40.11 2015
30% 7.5 33.85 1989
50% 8.7 23.74 1894

7. MIX PROPORTION

There is no proper code for the mix proportioning of materials required to create
papercrete. Hence several trial and error experiments are carried out by the Journal K.
Anandaraju, B Jose Ravindra Raj and the following observations are made.

Mix Mix Proportion

(Paper: Cement: Sand)
PP1 1:1:0
PP2 1:2:0
PP3 1:3:0
PPS1 1:1:0.5
PPS2 1:1:1
PPS3 1:1:1.5
PPS4 1:1.5:1
PPS5 1:2:1

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CHAPTER - 5

8. CASE STUDY

8.1 Evolution of paper concrete at New Mexico city

Mike was not the first to have discovered papercrete! Eric Patterson of Silver City, New
Mexico,had actually patented the process of making the exact same material, which he
called "padobe," (as in "paper adobe.") Eric is a printer by trade, and was looking for
ways to utilize all the waste scraps of paper that accumulated at his print shop, when he
and his daughter used a kitchen blender to make the first batch of paper and cement
slurry. When this paste was set out to dry, it eventually cured into a very solid block, and
the bells started going off in Eric's head. He made a bigger blender and started making
adobe block sized padobes. When he had enough of these made, he first built a wall, and
then an addition to his house, as well as a domed studio using nothing but the blocks
joined with a mortar of the same material.

Eric tried to commercialize on his invention for awhile, but eventually realized that it was
best left in the hands of individual entrepreneurs to do with as they pleased, and he no
longer tries to enforce his patent. At least two other "inventors" of papercrete predate both
Mike and Eric; one of them made a small papercrete shed in 1991 in Texas that he claims
is still as good as new. It seems that the idea of mixing cement and paper pulp is a
perennial event.

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8.2 Evolution of paper concrete at Baca in USA

Abi David, who with the help of many other people, has built a charming papercrete
house in the Baca. She is not quite finished with the project, but it is far enough along that
she can live in it. Abi was initially planning to make a straw bale house, and then
someone offered to provide large bales of paper to build with. When this concept fizzled,
she turned to papercrete blocks as an alternative, and has been quite pleased with the
results. The house is very well insulated and quite sturdy. She has been experimenting
with a variety of ways to plaster the walls, both inside and out.

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CHAPTER - 6

9. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF PAPERCRETE

9.1 Advantages
 They are light weight but strong:
Unlike concrete or adobe, paper-crete blocks are lightweight, less than a third of the
weight of a comparably-sized adobe brick. It is strong enough to hold up the load of roof
on “low height” buildings.

 Easy to use:
It is quick, easy to make and durable as well as fairly inexpensive.

 Low cost:
Paper-crete is suitable for making low cost homes with limited longevity and durability.
They are remarkably inexpensive, since all the ingredients except for the cement are
available for free or nearly free.
They can be easily made by everyone.
As the basic constituents of paper-crete are only paper, cement and water, it can be easily
made.

 They are environmentally friendly:

By the term environmentally friendly, it simply means having a lifestyle that are better for
the environment. By using paper in buildings we can significantly decrease amount of
paper landing in the landfills. Using the concept of recycling of waste materials, paper
crete is not only reducing the amount of cement using but also making it environmentally
friendly.

 They provide good insulation:

According to Jeododibroto (1983), raw material of paper contains a lot of fiber cellulose.
The content and coating of paper contain aluminum fiber influence to the heat resistance
to building material, so that it can save heat energy to cool the room. Unlike those of
concrete where heat from the sun heats the wall up and the concrete allow that heat to
pass all the way through and radiate into the interior of the house.

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9.2 DISADVANTAGES:

 Paper-crete are not structural:

It means that they cannot be used over doors and windows without some additional
support i.e. either by wood or concrete.

 It is water absorbent:
Another disadvantage to paper-crete is that it absorbs water. One must be careful to put a
good protective coating on all exterior surfaces that are meant to expose to rain. It is also
not actually to be used on the ground as it will absorb water from the surrounding earth.

 They have low durability:

Durability is another major issue owing to the tendency of paper to degrade due to
thermal, biological and chemical actions like fire, micro-organisms and sulphate and
chloride attacks respectively.

 Paper-crete is a brittle material:

In brittle materials, fracture happen mainly due to the presence of flaws on the surface or
inside the material where flaws act as crack initiation site. Therefore, they tend to break
before their stated limit and the point where such type of failure occurs depends on the
size of flaw which again depends on how material was processed or handled. Also brittle
materials are much more (10 to 15 times) prone to failure due to tension than
compression. They also stretch elastically when loaded to a certain point but they tend to
shatter very quickly if loaded beyond this point.

 The cost of raw paper will increase:

As paper-crete grows in popularity, it will become harder to find enough paper. Right
now, there is an overabundance of excess paper, and one can get as much paper as we
want for free. As paper-crete grows in popularity, people will realize there is a market for
old paper and start selling it – thus the cost of building with paper-crete will go up.

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10. APPLICATION

 Large use in house buildings.

 Used as a sound and heat insulator.
 Different shapes to decorate houses, flower pots
 It is used as a non load bearing wall.
 As it is lightweight it could be used in various applications.
 It is less catastrophic then materials like concrete so they can be used in high rise
buildings in seismic zones.
 They can be also used in simple furniture in interiors as it provides aesthetic and
opportunity for diverse designs.

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CHAPTER - 7

11. SUMMARY

 The density of papercrete is lesser than the ordinary bricks density.

 Thus we can use the papercrete for inner wall construction in place of bricks
which has higher density thereby they increase the dead weight of the structure
which can be reduced by using papercrete.
 The cost of individual coated flash based papercrete brick was more than 28% of
the cost of conventional clay brick and also more than 12% the cost of flash brick
as per the case study. Even through, the overall cost of building may reduce
because of the reduction in self weight of the brick wall.
 In the manufacture of conventional clay bricks, a large amount of fuel is needed in
order to burn the bricks. This causes social deforestation and the non-cultivation
of land. It may be avoided or minimized by adopting papercrete bricks.
 Papercrete can easily be mould into any shapes.

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12. REFERENCES

 Suganya “Lightweight bricks-made up of waste paper” International journal of

computer and organization tends-vol 2, special issue 2, ISSN;2249-2593, NO.2
April 2012
 Gunarto A, Satyarno I, Tjokrodimuljo K. Newsprint Paper Waste Exploiting for
Papercrete Panel. Institute of Research Center, Gadjah Mada University. 2008.
 Malthy R, Jegatheeswaran D. Comparative study on papercrete bricks with
conventional bricks. ICI Journal. January– March 2011.
 Fuller B, Fafitis A, Santamaria. Structural properties of a new material made of
waste paper. Building Integrated Solution, ASCE. 2006.
 Gallardo RS, Adajar MA. Structural performance of concrete with paper sludge
as fine aggregates partial replacement enhanced with admixtures. Symposium on
Infrastructure Development and the Environment. 2006.

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