Thermal treatment of desert sand to produce construction material.

Abstract

The concrete and reinforced concrete industry has refrained from using desert sand. The reasons for this are the rounded form of the particle, its grading and its chemical composition. This article provides an overview of the background, the constructability and technological challenges that the construction industry faces regarding construction sand’s shortage. Also, construction aggregates consumption and its influence on fresh and hardened concrete properties are described. The paper concludes by presenting several feasible approaches and provides a feasible technological solution.