Effect of granite weathered granules additives as aggregates in cement concrete

Abstract

Granitic weathering products were obtained from South Sinai. These aggregates were assessed to be used in the manufacturing of cement concrete. Chemical and mineralogical compositions and physical parameters of the selected samples were carried out. The composition of the main phase is quartz, albite, and microcline, while river sand shows only quartz as one phase. Four batches were designed with two different grain size divisions between the fine to medium granules. Two batches were designed with aggregates of granite weathering products only for all sizes. The other two batches were designed with coarse and medium granite aggregates and a fine of river sand. Some technological characteristics of the four batches in terms of bulk density, expansion, and compressive strength were detected. It is deduced that the replacement of the fine granite weathering products fraction with the river sand in two ratios (10 & 20%) yields higher amounts of the technological properties. The maximum compressive strength results recorded are 101.53% and 180.92%, in the batch nos. 4 and 3, respectively. The batch contains 20% of the river sand, fine fraction is denser and higher expansion and crushing strength values. SEM and EDX of the batches nos. 2 and 3 support the technological properties and the phase composition of the main component of granite and river sand granules as well as the composition of the main oxides of the OPC common in the market and elucidated that the river-sand as fine granules has better technological characteristics than the granite fine granules.