FOUNDRY SAND: UTILISATION AS A PARTIAL REPLACEMENT OF FINE AGGREGATE FOR ESTABLISHING SUSTAINABLE CONCRETE

Foundry waste is one of the most active research areas that encompass a number ofdisciplinesincluding civil engineering andconstruction materials. They can stand close to the concept of green concrete which is in compatible with the environment. Foundry sand from casting industries is a waste material which is dumped extensively and in this study an attempt has been made to evaluate the usage of this waste material in concrete. The constant depletion of sand beds at all major sources of availability is a major concern and thus efforts are taken in order to replace sand in construction activities. In this study, effect of foundry sand as fine aggregate replacement on the compressive strengthof concrete with a M25mix proportioninvestigated at different limited curing periods (7 days, 14 daysand 28 days). The percentage of foundry sand used for replacement were 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% by weight of fine aggregate. Test showed impressive results, showing capability of foundry sand for being a component in concrete for imparting strength. Making concrete from recycled materials saves energy and conserves resources which lead to a safe sustainable environment.