The use of fine fractions of waste from stone quarries in Azerbaijan as sand in the preparation of concrete

Abstract

Relevance. In recent years, the enterprises of the construction industry of the republic are experiencing an acute need for inert materials, especially for fine aggregates. The sand deposits available in Absheron are very insignificant and, moreover, in some cases do not meet the requirements of regulatory documents. As a result, it is necessary to use imported sands, which are also not always of satisfactory quality due to their significant fine grain and high content of clay and silt particles. In addition, the use of imported sands significantly affects the cost of finished products. Therefore, the study of the possibility of using fine fractions of stone quarry waste instead of sand in the preparation of heavy concrete is very timely and of undoubted interest. In the article, the characteristics of the materials used for the preparation of concrete are considered in sufficient detail, the main properties of limestone sand with different content of dust particles are investigated, the influence of the properties of limestone sand on the strength characteristics of concrete and their resistance to various temperature and humidity influences is studied. For the purpose of comparison, samples were simultaneously made using river sand from the Mingechevir deposit. The obtained results show that in concrete on gravel and crushed stone when using limestone sand, in comparison with concrete on natural sand, the consumption of cement per 1m3 of concrete slightly increases. The purpose of the research. The article deals with the problem of using fine fractions of stone quarry waste as sand in the preparation of concrete. Research methodology. A simple technique was used to determine the volume increment upon swelling. The physical and mechanical tests of sand have been conducted, the study of the particle size modulus when mixed with gravel and crushed stone and the ability to increase volume during swelling are shown. Results. The use of cheap local wastes of shell limestones as small and large aggregates of concrete will make it possible to somewhat cover the need of the construction industry of the republic for aggregates, especially for fine aggregates. Conclusions. Limestone sands obtained by sawing the shell limestones of the Apsheron Peninsula are a suitable fine aggregate for the preparation of concrete.