Effect of Pozzolanic Glass Processing Waste on the Resistance of Sustainable Concrete to Alkali–Silica Reaction

The growing global consumption of concrete is driving up the demand for cement, which has a negative environmental impact due to intensive CO2 emissions. This impact can be reduced by replacing cement with reactive mineral industrial waste, simultaneously addressing the issue of waste accumulation in landfills. However, to ensure the effective use of such materials, it is essential to comprehensively investigate their influence on concrete durability. This study analyzes glass processing waste (GPW) generated during glass grinding. The waste is removed using water, resulting in the formation of glass processing waste. In the experiment, CEM I 42.5 R cement, GPW, sand, crushed dolomite stone, concrete sludge (CS), chemical admixtures, and water were used. In the tests, cement was replaced with glass processing waste in amounts ranging from 5% to 30%, analyzing a total of seven different compositions. The properties of the sustainable concrete mixture were evaluated, and the mechanical–physical properties of the hardened concrete were determined. Resistance to alkali–silica reaction was tested according to the RILEM AAR-4 methodology, while the environmental impact of glass processing waste was assessed using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The results showed that glass processing waste increases the concrete’s resistance to alkali corrosion: as the amount of waste increased, a smaller change in the linear dimensions of the specimens was recorded, and the lowest mass loss was found in the composition where 20% of the cement was replaced by glass processing waste. The environmental impact assessment confirmed a direct correlation—as the amount of glass waste increases, CO2 emissions decrease proportionally. To produce sustainable concrete, it is recommended to use up to 20% glass processing waste: this allows for the maximum reduction in environmental impact while maintaining mechanical properties and high resistance to alkali–silica reaction.