A Preliminary Study on the Physical Properties of an Alternative Coarse Aggregate Made with Red Soil and Fly Ash

Background and Objective:

The demand for course aggregate is increasing every day. Natural aggregate used for ordinary concrete is obtained by quarrying, which cause serious environmental issues. An alternate course aggregate is needed for sustainable development. The objective of this research is to produce an alternative course aggregate in combination with soil available locally near site along with fly ash, to test its properties to make it fit for concrete.

Method:

An alternative coarse aggregate is produced from red soil and fly ash mixed at various ratios, 100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50, fresh aggregate granules of different sizes less than 10mm is prepared using hand press, the aggregates were sundried in shade for 24hours, oven dried at 110°C, burned in Muffle furnace at temperature of 950°C and cooled gradually to reach room temperature. After the production, the specific gravity, bulk density, water absorption, Impact and aggregate crushing of the aggregates were tested.

Result:

Test results showed that aggregates produced are of lesser specific gravity, density with relatively appreciable impact value and crushing value.

Conclusion:

The test results show that the aggregates produced can be used in construction as replacement for natural aggregates.

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