Waste marbles as an alternative coarse and fine aggregates for concrete

Abstract

Concrete is a versatile composite containing mainly aggregates, water, sand, and cement. As the production of concrete increases, so does the production and unit cost of these materials. Marble is the most harvested natural material in the world, and the marble industry is one of the most well-known livelihoods in the Philippines. More production means more waste can be created. The environment is significantly affected by the wastage of seventy percent of the minerals during mining, processing, and polishing. This research examines concrete's compressive strength when Waste Marble is used as a substitute for river sand as fine aggregate and coarse aggregate. The concrete specimens were tested after being cured for three different periods: 7, 14, and 21 days. Various proportions of waste marble, ranging from 0% to 50% in increments of 10% by weight, were incorporated into the concrete mix. The concrete mix used in the study followed a ratio of 1 part cement, 1.84 parts fine aggregate, and 3.84 parts coarse aggregate, with 144.24 liters of water per the ACI method mix design. The experimental findings indicate that the compressive strength of the concrete containing 50% waste marbles after 21 days of curing surpasses that of the control concrete.