V3I7P81

Strength Behaviour of Concrete Incorporating Washed Marine Sand as a Partial Substitute

Omkar Jagannath Kshirsagar^1*,  S. P. Sharma²  , L. S. Mahajan³

Abstract

The increasing scarcity of river sand and the environmental concerns associated with its extraction have necessitated the development of sustainable alternative fine aggregates for concrete production. This study evaluates the mechanical performance of cement mortar and M25 grade concrete incorporating washed marine sand (MS) as a partial replacement for manufactured sand (M-Sand). Washed marine sand was used at replacement levels of 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%. The mechanical properties were assessed through compressive strength, split tensile strength, and flexural strength tests in accordance with relevant Indian Standards. The experimental results indicate that partial replacement of M-Sand with washed marine sand significantly enhances the strength characteristics of concrete. Among the replacement levels investigated, 60% marine sand exhibited the optimum performance, producing higher compressive, split tensile, and flexural strengths than the control mix. The improved mechanical properties are attributed to the finer particle size and better particle packing of marine sand, which enhance the bond between the cement matrix and aggregates. These findings demonstrate that washed marine sand is a sustainable and technically viable alternative fine aggregate for structural concrete applications.

Keywords:

Concrete, Compressive strength, Strength, M sand, Aggreagate