Valorization and recycling of quarries waste as an addition in cement

Abstract

The management of mining waste is one of the major environmental problems which are facing the mining professionals, during their activity and even after the closure of the mine. Indeed, excavated materials from mines belong to a category of waste, and especially when dealing with an open pit, are generally left on the surface.In this experimental study, the utilization of sand waste marble dust as an additive in cement production has been investigated. The aggregate used in this study is a sand of marble wastes (excess loads of sand exposed to bad weather conditions) of the derived marble quarry from Fil-fila (Skikda, east of Algeria). The study focuses the effect of marble waste sand fillers substitution in the cement paste and mortar (5, 10, 15 and 20%) with a finesse greater than that of cement, to compare the results obtained through control samples (0%) of cement paste properties in the fresh condition and the mechanical performances of mortar in the hardened condition. The obtained results show that the sand marble wastes fillers can be technically used as additive in cement. Therefore, it can be possible to prevent the environmental pollution especially in this region with excessive marble production and to well manage natural resources.