Use of foundry sand as partial replacement of natural fine aggregate for the production of concrete

Abstract

The scarcity of natural fine aggregate becomes prominent in the present scenario due to high consumption of natural fine aggregate as the demand for concrete is increasing day by day. As a result, environmental degradation also becomes very significant. In this experimental study, an effort has been made to study the feasibility of using foundry sand as partial replacement for natural fine aggregate to produce concrete with desired properties. Physical and mechanical properties of the produced concrete were studied by incorporating foundry sand, 10, 20, 30, and 40% of the mass of total fine aggregate in the mixes. For achieving the desired strength of concrete mixes, 30% replacement of natural fine aggregates by foundry sand was observed in this work to be considered for the production of fresh concrete. Use of certain percentage of foundry sand as alternative for natural fine aggregate to produce concrete will lead to protect the natural resources, save the environmental system, and promote sustainability in concrete industries.