Feasibility of sustainable construction materials for concrete paving blocks: A review on waste foundry sand and other materials

Abstract

This study examines the feasibility of using various waste materials in concrete paver blocks to reduce consumption of natural resources, increased global warming and hazardous waste material generation. Exessive waste is generated from the construction, thermal power plant and industrial sector causing landfill issues too. Sand is the most demanding resource in the construction industry, there is a scarcity of natural aggregates due to rapid urbanization, an estimated 1.4 billion tons of sand will be required by 2020, compared to 630 million tons in 2010. Approximately 1 ton of cement produces 1 ton of CO2. Nowadays cement production is reached to 337.32 million tons in 2018–19 contributing 7–8% CO2 emission globally. These statistics show the graveness of increasing global warming, resource demand and environmental deprivation. Therefore, researchers are finding out alternatives to the construction materials considering the need and future scope of development through sustainability. The following materials are studied in this paper: Waste foundry sand, fly ash, GGBS as a replacement to cement and aggregates in concrete paver blocks. Various test results are mentioned like compressive strength, water absorption, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength and abrasion resistance test along with the optimum replacement percentage values of various waste materials which can be used to get better results. Studies showed cement can replace with 100% by fly ash in geopolymer concrete. GGBS can use upto 50–70%, Waste foundry sand upto 30–50%, 25% fly ash and 75% GGBS for better strength results also utilization of 45% waste foundry sand an 34% fly ash gives better compressive strength results. Reutilization of these materials will tend towards sustainable development through economic and green pavers.