Study on Compression Strength of Concrete Along with Replacement of Fines with Granite Powder

Abstract

As the construction sector is growing and with the passage of time, several types of concrete were made globally like high strength concrete, self-healing concrete, self-compacting concrete and self-curing concrete. The global demand for building materials is steadily growing, yet the supply of natural resources is diminishing. Every day extraction of sand that is naturally occurring in river beds is destroying the natural quality of river bed and this process of extraction is damaging the flow properties of river and the seepage of water to the retention of ground water level is decreasing day by day. When river sand is transported from river bed to the construction site, the overall cost of the fine aggregate increases exponentially due to labour and transportation charges. Alternative materials have been developed as a result of this situation. Fine granite powder is obtained in granite factories in the process of grinding and wedging granite rocks in wanted shapes and size. The waste produced by cutting granite rocks is carried by water and is stored in tanks. The granite dust is left over after the water is drained and disposed of on the land. In the concrete mix, this granite powder behaves like fine aggregate. For M30 mix proportions, the shift of granite powder replaced is 0%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30%. The cubes are tested for 7-day compression strength. Compared to normal curing, self-curing has a more significant impact on concrete. Besides not affecting hydration and moisture distribution, it also improves the workability of concrete. In this experimental study, we consider PEG 600 containing polyvinyl alcohol as a synthetic polymer. The test results obtained show for 37% improvement in compression strength when compared with normal concrete.