POTENTIAL USE OF IRON ORE TAILINGS IN SANDCRETE BLOCK MAKING

Abstract

Sand-Crete blocks are widely used in Nigerian construction industry. Its quality has been compromised by manufacturers mainly due to the quality and cost of materials used. Iron ore tailings (IOT) are waste material obtainable from the process of smelting of iron. The study tests suitability of IOT in replacing natural sand partially in the making of Sand-Crete Blocks (SCB). Iron ore tailing was added to the mix in the following percentage: 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% of sand. It was observed the compressive strength increases with increase in curing age and also increases in percentage of iron tailings. IOT has a great potential as a replacement of fine aggregate in sandcrete block production