Influence of Fungus on Properties of Concrete Made with Waste Foundry Sand
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 25, Issue 4
Abstract
Waste foundry sands (WFSs) represent the highest amount of solid wastes generated by foundries. The high cost of landfilling and the potential uses of waste foundry sand in construction purposes have prompted research into their beneficial reuse. Microbial modified mortar/concrete has become an important area of research for high-performance construction materials. This study investigates the effects of fungal (Eupenicillium crustaceum) treated waste foundry sand on concrete properties as partial replacements of sand. It shows an increase in compressive strength up to 24% and decreases in water absorption (44%) and porosity (50%) in concrete made with fungal treated 20% WFS after 28 days of curing, compared to untreated concrete made with 20% WFS. The strength improvement is attributable to microbially induced mineral formed by fungi, often referred to as calcified filaments, confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectra. The formation of calcium oxalate (weddellite) in urease broth by fungi was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. This ability of fungal culture to form the biomineral results in improvements to concrete properties.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 25 • Issue 4 • April 2013
Pages: 484 - 490
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 20, 2011
Accepted: Mar 19, 2012
Published online: Mar 21, 2012
Published in print: Apr 1, 2013
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