Seashells and Oyster Shells: Biobased Fine Aggregates in Concrete Mixtures

Abstract

The construction industry is the largest global consumer of materials, among which sand plays a fundamental role; now the second most used natural resource behind water, sand is the primary component in concrete. However, natural sand production is a slow process and sand is now consumed at a faster pace than it’s replenished. One way to reduce consumption of sand is to use alternative materials in the concrete industry. This paper reports the exploratory study on the suitability of aquaculture byproducts as fine aggregates in concrete mixtures. Seashell grit, seashell flour and oyster flour were used as sand replacements in concrete mixtures (10%, 30% and 50% substitution rates). All the mixtures were characterized in fresh and hardened states (workability, air content, compressive strength and water absorption). Based on compressive strength, measured at 7 and 28 days, seashell grit provided the most promising results: the compressive strength was found to be larger than for conventional concrete. Moreover, the compressive strength of the cubes was larger, when larger percentages of seashell grit were used, with the highest value obtained for 50% substitution. However, for oyster flour and seashell flour, only 10% sand substitution provided results comparable with the control mixture. For the three aggregates, workability of concrete decreases with fineness modulus decrease. For mixtures in which shell and oyster flour were used with 30% and 50% substitution percentages, it was necessary to increase the quantity of mixing water to allow a minimal workability. In conclusion, considering the promising results of the seashell grit, it is suggested to study further the characteristic of the material, also considering its environmental and physical properties, including acoustic and thermal performances. Higher substitution percentages should also be investigated. This research adds to the relevant literature in matter of biobased concrete, aiming at finding new biobased sustainable alternatives in the concrete industry.