Integrated Techno-Environmental Analysis of Finely Ground Silica Sand in Sustainable Mortar Production
Kamel Hebbache,
Mourad Boutlikht,
Abdellah Douadi,
Cherif Belebchouche,
Imed Benrebouh,
Redha Hammouche,
Laura Moretti,
Adrian Chajec,
Slawomir Czarnecki
Affiliations
Kamel Hebbache
Civil Engineering Research Laboratory of Sétif (LRGCS), Department of Civil Engineering, Ferhat Abbas University of Sétif 1, Sétif 19000, Algeria
Mourad Boutlikht
Civil Engineering Research Laboratory of Sétif (LRGCS), Department of Civil Engineering, Ferhat Abbas University of Sétif 1, Sétif 19000, Algeria
Abdellah Douadi
Civil Engineering Research Laboratory of Sétif (LRGCS), Department of Civil Engineering, Ferhat Abbas University of Sétif 1, Sétif 19000, Algeria
Cherif Belebchouche
Materials and Durability of Construction Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Constantine 1 University Frères Mentouri, Constantine 25000, Algeria
Imed Benrebouh
Civil Engineering Research Laboratory of Sétif (LRGCS), Department of Civil Engineering, Ferhat Abbas University of Sétif 1, Sétif 19000, Algeria
Redha Hammouche
Materials and Durability of Construction Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Constantine 1 University Frères Mentouri, Constantine 25000, Algeria
Laura Moretti
Department of Civil, Constructional and Environmental Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Adrian Chajec
Department of Materials Engineering and Construction Processes, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Slawomir Czarnecki
Department of Materials Engineering and Construction Processes, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
The environmental impacts of cement production are becoming more urgent concerns. This study examined the mechanical characteristics of cement when it is partially replaced with finely crushed sand. The experimental program consisted of three different levels of sand fineness of 459 m2/kg, 497 m2/kg, and 543 m2/kg, as well as four substitution ratios of 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%. A total of thirteen combinations were formulated and then evaluated. The results demonstrated that increasing sand fineness from 459 m2/kg to 543 m2/kg substantially impacted the compressive strength (CS), increasing it by up to 30%, and increasing the substitution ratio from 10% to 40% reduced the mechanical strength by roughly 40%. An extensive techno-environmental evaluation showed that replacing cement with finely crushed sand is technically feasible and environmentally advantageous. This technique can decrease carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by around 40%, emphasizing its ecological benefits and coinciding with worldwide initiatives to decrease the environmental impact of construction materials. In summary, this study demonstrates the advantages of improving the mechanical characteristics of cement while minimizing its ecological footprint. It suggests that finely crushed sand can be used as a sustainable alternative in cement manufacturing, promoting the use of more environmentally friendly construction methods.
