Use of Contaminated Sludge in Concrete.

Brazil, the 5th largest country by landmass and the 8th largest by Gross Domestic Product, continues to grow both in population as well as in construction. Major construction investments in Brazil has increased the demand for concrete. Taking into account the constant growth in population in the past 20 years, this paper presents an innovative solution that could potentially decrease the cost of concrete, while also helping to preserve the environment. The solution proposes using the hazardous waste (sludge) from Brazil's water purification system, Estação de Tratamento de Água (ETA), as an alternative aggregate for concrete. Sludge is a type of hazardous waste produced by the water purification process. With the dramatic growth in Brazil's population, the demand for drinking water has caused there to be an overabundance of hazardous waste. Sludge, if disposed inappropriately, harms the environment. Using sludge in concrete will minimize the amount harming the environment and provide a low-cost solution to aggregates needed in concrete. The research reviews and analyzes the implementation and feasibility of this solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]