Utilization of Granite Powder Waste in Concrete Production

Abstract

The ornamental granite stone-processing industries of Tamilnadu state produce tons of fine powder wastes during sawing and polishing. It is a non-biodegradable waste that can be easily inhaled by human being and animals and is also harmful to the environment. The main objective of this study is to investigate experimentally the suitability of granite powder (GP) waste as a substitute material for fine/natural aggregate in concrete production. The physical and chemical characterization of the GP waste was also addressed. The experimental parameter was the percentage of granite powder substitution. The cubes and cylinders were prepared using 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% of fine/natural aggregate substituted by GP waste. To understand fully the influence of GP waste on the behavior of concrete, several tests such as density, slump cone, split tensile strength, flexural strength; ultra sonic pulse velocity (UPV) and compressive strength tests were performed. The Young’s modulus of elasticity of the concrete was also determined. The GP waste exhibited a very high specific surface value of about 340kg/m2 and chemical analysis results showed that the examined material contains about 77% of silica (SiO2). Experimental results revealed that the rough texture and high specific area of the GP waste significantly decreased the workability of the concrete especially for the substitution level of 20% and 25%. The obtained test results show that the substitution of GP waste up to 15% does not affect the mechanical and fresh concrete properties of the concrete and it was recommended that the replacement of natural sand by GP waste up to 15% of any formulation would be favorable for concrete making.