Stabilized Mud Concrete for Sustainable Construction

Abstract

There is a shortage of sand for construction worldwide and the need of the hour is to find alternatives to river sand for sustainable and cost-effective construction. Soils, which generally have 40–50% sand content are an obvious choice. However, it should be noted that the top soil, which is essential for agriculture, should not be used. The other possible alternatives are waste products like LD Slag and Construction and Demolition waste (CDW). Since concrete is the most used construction material universally, it is beneficial to consider concretes with alternative fine aggregates. This chapter examines the use of excavated natural soil and its combinations with natural sand, LD Slag and construction and demolition waste as fine aggregates in concrete. Such concrete may be referred to as Stabilized Mud Concrete since soil is invariably one of the primary ingredients. Four different sets of fine aggregate replacements are considered. The mix proportions have been varied and the compressive strength and water absorption of various concretes are determined and reported. This approach is useful in situations where expected strength requirements lie in the range of 5.0–15.0 MPa.