Mechanical Strength of Concrete by Replacement of Sand with Porcelain Waste with Addition of Superplasticizer

Abstract

The demands for concrete increases on a daily basis, consuming a lot of natural resources such as sand and gravel, hence there is an urgent need to find suitable substitutes. This work is to determine the mechanical properties of concrete via substitution of sand with porcelain waste and the addition of superplasticizer. Three samples of concrete have been casted into cube, cylinder and beam. Superplasticizer and water were homogeneously mixed for 2 minutes and added to the composition of concrete for casting process. Then the samples were stored at room temperature for 24 hours and cured in a clean and fresh water tank instantly at different curing ages of 7, 28 and 60 days. The samples were then determined the compressive, splitting and flexural strength. The highest compressive, splitting and flexural strength were measured at 78.2 MPa, 5.64 MPa and 9.93 MPa respectively at 50 % replacement and 60 days. The usage of waste porcelain in concrete has a great potential in construction industry.