The environment today is facing concerns over accumulation of plastics in landfills as well as excessive CO2 emissions. Containers and packaging take up approximately 15 million tons each year, and accumulations such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch are entering the oceans. Work has been done to alter and treat polyethylene plastic to be added to cement mixtures. This is done to increase bearing capacity and ductility of concrete in addition to decreasing carbon emissions and plastic waste.

This thesis investigates the feasibility of using recycled ceramics as the aggregate in concrete, as an alternative to natural rock aggregates. The study evaluates the mechanical properties of concrete made with recycled ceramics and compares them with those of traditional concrete. The research involved laboratory experiments to determine compressive strength and displacement. The results show that the concrete made with recycled ceramics exhibited higher compressive strength and lower maximum displacement than traditional concrete, which means it acted more brittle. However, when the recycled ceramics were used to replace only 50% of the rock aggregate, the compressive strength decreased while the maximum displacement stayed the same, though the study concludes that a larger sample size is needed for more reliable results. Based on the findings, the thesis concludes that while the use of recycled ceramics in concrete may not be suitable for structural concrete, it could still have potential as a sustainable building material in non-structural applications.

This report attempts to understand the effects of the many aspects that pertain to a woman’s path into the construction industry and their role in limiting women’s overall representation in the construction industry. More specifically, it aims to understand how upbringing, background, and culture impact women that do pursue careers in the construction industry. This paper presents some of the current and prominent issues being faced by women in in the construction industry, including those in the trades. These issues then contribute to their lack of representation and forceful exit. Additionally, it assesses personal narratives from a localized group of women who are currently employed at a large construction company. This information and these narratives are analyzed jointly to try and gain a better understanding of the current challenges being faced by women in comparison to those reported previously. This joint comparison allows for a deeper understanding of women’s perception of the construction industry as a whole.