Proposed Mix Design Method for Dune Sand Concrete Using Close Packing Model and Mortar Film Thickness Theory
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 35, Issue 11
Abstract
Massive infrastructure constructions have resulted in scarcity of river sand resources. Previous studies and applications proved dune sand can partially replace river sand used in engineering to alleviate the supply and demand contradiction of river sand. However, due to the dune sand is finer, rounder and smoother than river sand, determining the appropriate proportion of dune sand for designing engineered dune sand concrete (DSC) remains challenging. To tackle this challenge, a mix design method for DSC was proposed via close packing model and mortar film thickness theory. Specifically, the close packing model was used to confirm dune sand content and sand ratio, then the dune sand and river sand were mixed to obtain engineering-standard mixed sand. The mortar film thickness theory was utilized to determine the mortar volume and to tailor the concrete slump. By proper design, the DSC achieved the 28-d compressive strengths of 50 MPa along with good workability. Increasing the thickness of the mortar film from 0.3 to 0.9 mm leads to significant changes in DSC performance. For per 0.1 mm increase in thickness, there is an average change of 14.25 mm in slump, in dry density, 0.90 MPa in compressive strength at 28 d, in emission, in energy consumption, and in cost. The designed DSC achieved a relatively low cement intensity (CI) value of , implying that DSC exhibits good eco-efficiency. Therefore, the proposed hybrid design approach can guide the design of engineered DSCs with excellent mechanical properties as well as environmental and economic performance.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
All data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This research was sponsored by the Open Fund of Inner Mongolia Transportation Development Research Center (No. 2019KFJJ-007), Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi (No. 2021JC-26), and Special Fund for Basic Scientific Research of Central Colleges (Nos. 300102281303, 300102282112, and 300102283102). These supports are greatly acknowledged.
References
Ahmad, J., A. Majdi, A. F. Deifalla, H. J. Qureshi, M. U. Saleem, S. M. A. Qaidi, and M. A. El-Shorbagy. 2022. “Concrete made with dune sand: Overview of fresh, mechanical and durability properties.” Materials 15 (17): 6152. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15176152.
Aïtcin, P. 2019. “The influence of the water/cement ratio on the sustainability of concrete.” In Chemistry of cement and concrete, 807–826. Oxford, UK: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Akhtar, M. N., Z. Ibrahim, N. M. Bunnori, M. Jameel, N. Tarannum, and J. Akhtar. 2021. “Performance of sustainable sand concrete at ambient and elevated temperature.” Constr. Build. Mater. 280 (Apr): 122404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.122404.
Amel, C. L., E.-H. Kadri, Y. Sebaibi, and H. Soualhi. 2017. “Dune sand and pumice impact on mechanical and thermal lightweight concrete properties.” Constr. Build. Mater. 133 (Feb): 209–218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.12.043.
ASTM. 2007. Standard practice for making and curing concrete test specimens in the laboratory. ASTM C31/C31M. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2010. Standard test method for bulk density (“unit weight”) and voids in aggregate. ASTM C29/C29M. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
Bai, J., Y. Zhao, J. Shi, and X. He. 2022. “Damage degradation model of aeolian sand concrete under freeze–thaw cycles based on macro-microscopic perspective.” Constr. Build. Mater. 327 (Apr): 126885. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.126885.
Bai, J. W., Y. R. Zhao, J. N. Shi, and X. Y. He. 2021. “Cross-scale study on the mechanical properties and frost resistance durability of aeolian sand concrete.” KSCE J. Civ. Eng. 25 (11): 4386–4402. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-021-0395-0.
Belferrag, A., A. Kriker, F. Youcef, S. Abboudi, and S. T. Bi. 2022. “Thermal conductivity of dune sand concrete reinforced with pneumatic waste metal fibers.” Int. J. Thermophys. 43 (9): 140. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10765-022-03065-2.
Boucedra, A., M. Bederina, and Y. Ghernouti. 2020. “Study of the acoustical and thermo-mechanical properties of dune and river sand concretes containing recycled plastic aggregates.” Constr. Build. Mater. 256 (Sep): 119447. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.119447.
Brand, A. S., J. R. Roesler, A. J. C. Salas, and B. Materials. 2015. “Initial moisture and mixing effects on higher quality recycled coarse aggregate concrete.” Constr. Build. Mater. 79 (Mar): 83–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2015.01.047.
Brouwers, H. 2006. “The role of nanotechnology for the development of sustainable concrete.” In Vol. 7 of Proc., ACI Session Nanotechnology of Concrete: Recent Developments and Future Perspectives, 69–90. Farmington Hills, MI: American Concrete Institute.
Campos, H., N. Klein, and J. Marques Filho. 2020. “Proposed mix design method for sustainable high-strength concrete using particle packing optimization.” J. Cleaner Prod. 265 (Aug): 121907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121907.
Cochrane, S. 2014. “The munsell color system: A scientific compromise from the world of art.” Stud. Hist. Philos. Sci. Part A 47 (Sep): 26–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsa.2014.03.004.
Cui, G., J. Liu, T. Yao, and W. Lin. 2010. “Mix proportion design of reactive powder concrete based on Dinger-Funk equation.” [In Chinese.] Supplement, J. Southeast Univ. 40 (S2): 15–19.
Damineli, B. L., F. M. Kemeid, P. S. Aguiar, and V. M. John. 2010. “Measuring the eco-efficiency of cement use.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 32 (8): 555–562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2010.07.009.
Dinger, D., and J. Funk. 1989. “Particle-size analysis routines available on Cerabull.” Am. Ceram. Soc. Bull. 68 (8): 1406–1408.
Dong, C. 2018. “Experimental study on flexural property of RC beams admixing natural desert sand and basalt fibers.” [In Chinese.] Master’s thesis, College of Architecture and Engineering, Xinjiang Univ.
EFNARC (European Federation for Specialist Construction Chemicals and Concrete Systems). 2002. Specification and guidelines for self-compacting concrete. Surrey, UK: EFNARC.
El-Mir, A., H. El-Hassan, A. El-Dieb, and A. Alsallamin. 2022. “Development and optimization of geopolymers made with desert dune sand and blast furnace slag.” Sustainability 14 (13): 7845. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14137845.
Fan, D., R. Yu, Z. Shui, C. Wu, Q. Song, Z. Liu, Y. Sun, X. Gao, and Y. He. 2020. “A new design approach of steel fibre reinforced ultra-high performance concrete composites: Experiments and modeling.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 110 (Jul): 103597. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2020.103597.
Feng, J. 2019. “Study on permeability and mechanical properties of pervious concrete based on film thickness theory.” [In Chinese.] Master’s thesis, School of Civil and Traffic Engineering, Guangdong Univ. of Technology.
Feng, J., G. Li, J. Zhu, X. Liang, L. Wang, Z. Mai, H. Fang, and K. Khoo. 2018. “Study on the properties of pervious concrete based on film thickness theory.” [In Chinese.] In Proc., 18th National Symp. on Modern Structural Engineering, 45–48. Beijing: Industrial Construction.
Ge, P., W. Huang, J. R. Zhang, W. L. Quan, and Y. T. Guo. 2021. “Mix proportion design method of recycled brick aggregate concrete based on aggregate skeleton theory.” Constr. Build. Mater. 304 (Oct): 124584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.124584.
He, M., Y. Wang, K. Yuan, Z. Sheng, J. Qiu, J. Liu, and J. Wang. 2020a. “Synergistic effects of ultrafine particles and graphene oxide on hydration mechanism and mechanical property of dune sand-incorporated cementitious composites.” Constr. Build. Mater. 262 (Nov): 120817. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.120817.
He, X., W. Shen, Q. Jia, and Y. Liu. 2020b. “Effects of mortar rheological characteristics and film thickness on self-compacting concrete.” [In Chinese.] J. Southeast Univ. 50 (3): 463–470.
He, Y. 2018. “The research on the mix proportion optimization and durability of desert sand concrete based on the Dinger-Funk equation.” [In Chinese]. Master’s thesis, College of Architecture and Engineering, Xinjiang Univ.
Hunger, M., and J. Brouwers. 2008. “Natural stone waste powders applied to SCC mix design.” Restor. Build. Monuments 14 (2): 131–140. https://doi.org/10.1515/rbm-2008-6206.
IS (Industry Standard). 2006. Standard for technical requirements and test method of sand and crushed stone (or gravel) for ordinary concrete. [In Chinese.] JGJ 52. Beijing: China Architecture and Building Press.
IS (Industry Standard). 2011. Specification for mix proportion design of ordinary concrete. [In Chinese.] JGJ 55. Beijing: China Architecture and Building Press.
Karadumpa, C. S., R. K. J. C. Pancharathi, and B. Materials. 2021. “Developing a novel mix design methodology for slow hardening composite cement concretes through packing density approach.” Constr. Build. Mater. 303 (Oct): 124391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.124391.
Kaufmann, J. 2020. “Evaluation of the combination of desert sand and calcium sulfoaluminate cement for the production of concrete.” Constr. Build. Mater. 243 (May): 118281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.118281.
Kog, Y. C. 2020. “High-performance concrete made with dune sand.” Mag. Concr. Res. 72 (20): 1036–1046. https://doi.org/10.1680/jmacr.18.00073.
Li, J., Y. Chen, and C. Wan. 2017. “A mix-design method for lightweight aggregate self-compacting concrete based on packing and mortar film thickness theories.” Constr. Build. Mater. 157 (Dec): 621–634. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.09.141.
Li, Y., H. Zhang, G. Liu, D. Hu, and X. Ma. 2020. “Multi-scale study on mechanical property and strength prediction of aeolian sand concrete.” Constr. Build. Mater. 247 (Jun): 118538. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.118538.
Liao, T. C., X. Huang, J. Yuan, S. Q. Ren, H. Cai, and X. Chen. 2022. “Effects of desert sand substitution on concrete properties using desert sand-doped artificial sand as the fine aggregate.” Ceram. Silik. 66 (4): 540–554. https://doi.org/10.13168/cs.2022.0050.
Liu, H., X. Sun, H. Du, and H. Lu. 2020. “Effects and threshold of water film thickness on multi-mineral cement paste.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 112 (Sep): 103677. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2020.103677.
Luo, X., G. Xing, L. Qiao, P. Miao, X. Yu, and K. Ma. 2023. “Multi-objective optimization of the mix proportion for dune sand concrete based on response surface methodology.” Constr. Build. Mater. 366 (Feb): 129928. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.129928.
Mao, F. 2020. “Researched on design, preparation and properties of rubber aggregate concrete.” [In Chinese.] Master’s thesis, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Univ. of Science and Technology.
Mithun, B., and M. Narasimhan. 2016. “Performance of alkali activated slag concrete mixes incorporating copper slag as fine aggregate.” J. Cleaner Prod. 112 (Jan): 837–844. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.06.026.
Mostofinejad, D., and M. Reisi. 2012. “A new DEM-based method to predict packing density of coarse aggregates considering their grading and shapes.” Constr. Build. Mater. 35 (Oct): 414–420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2012.04.008.
Naas, A., H. D. Taha, G. Salim, and Q. Michèle. 2022. “Combined effect of powdered dune sand and steam-curing using solar energy on concrete characteristics.” Constr. Build. Mater. 322 (Mar): 126474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.126474.
Ng, P.-L., A. K.-H. Kwan, and L. G. Li. 2016. “Packing and film thickness theories for the mix design of high-performance concrete.” J. Zhejiang Univ.-Sci. A 17 (10): 759–781. https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.A1600439.
NS (National Standard). 2007. Common portland cement. [In Chinese.] GB 175. Beijing: China Standard Press.
NS (National Standard). 2008. Testing method for specific surface of cement—Brinell method. [In Chinese.] GB/T 8074. Beijing: China Standard Press.
NS (National Standard). 2011. Standard for quality control of concrete. [In Chinese.] GB 50164. Beijing: China Architecture and Building Press.
NS (National Standard). 2016. Standard for test method of performance on fresh concrete. [In Chinese.] GB/T 50080. Beijing: China Architecture and Building Press.
NS (National Standard). 2019. Standard for test methods of concrete physical and mechanics properties. [In Chinese.] GB/T 50081. Beijing: China Architecture and Building Press.
Shen, W., M. Wu, B. Zhang, G. Xu, J. Cai, X. Xiong, and D. Zhao. 2021. “Coarse aggregate effectiveness in concrete: Quantitative models study on paste thickness, mortar thickness and compressive strength.” Constr. Build. Mater. 289 (Jun): 123171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.123171.
Siva, R. K. U., and S. K. C. Naga. 2020. “A case study on maintenance of bituminous concrete pavement considering life cycle cost analysis and carbon footprint estimation.” Int. J. Construct. Manage. 22 (9): 1756–1764. https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2020.1742629.
Tam, V. W., X. Gao, and C. M. Tam. 2005. “Microstructural analysis of recycled aggregate concrete produced from two-stage mixing approach.” Cem. Concr. Res. 35 (6): 1195–1203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2004.10.025.
Tan, C., B. Yu, X. Yuan, C. Liu, T. Wang, and X. Zhu. 2020. “Color origin of the lower triassic Liujiagou and Heshanggou formations Red beds in the Ordos Basin.” [In Chinese.] Geoscience 34 (4): 769–783.
Tan, S., B. Sawulet, and Y. Zhong. 2022. “Research on the mix proportion of cement-based grouting based on close packing theory.” [In Chinese.] J. China Three Gorges Univ. 44 (2): 70–76.
Vishalakshi, K., V. Revathi, and S. S. Reddy. 2018. “Effect of type of coarse aggregate on the strength properties and fracture energy of normal and high strength concrete.” Eng. Fract. Mech. 194 (May): 52–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfracmech.2018.02.029.
Xie, Y., Q. Zhou, G. Long, P. Chaktrimongkol, Y. Shi, and H. A. Umar. 2022. “Experimental investigation on mechanical property and microstructure of ultra-high-performance concrete with ceramsite sand.” Struct. Concr. 23 (4): 2391–2404. https://doi.org/10.1002/suco.202100156.
Yan, W., G. Wu, and Z. Dong. 2019. “Optimization of the mix proportion for desert sand concrete based on a statistical model.” Constr. Build. Mater. 226 (Nov): 469–482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.07.287.
Yousuf, S., L. Sanchez, and S. Shammeh. 2019. “The use of particle packing models (PPMs) to design structural low cement concrete as an alternative for construction industry.” J. Build. Eng. 25 (Sep): 100815. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2019.100815.
Yu, R., P. Spiesz, and H. Brouwers. 2016. “Energy absorption capacity of a sustainable ultra-high performance fibre reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) in quasi-static mode and under high velocity projectile impact.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 68 (Apr): 109–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2016.02.012.
Zeghichi, L., Z. Benghazi, and L. Baali. 2012. “Comparative study of self-compacting concrete with manufactured and dune sand.” J. Civ. Eng. Archit. 6 (10): 1429–1434.
Zhang, G., L. Mo, J. Chen, J. Z. Liu, and Z. M. He. 2012. “Research on influence of chloride ion in sea sand on the performance of concrete.” Appl. Mech. Mater. 174–177 (May): 444–447. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.174-177.444.
Zhang, M., X. Zhu, J. Shi, L. Baoju, Z. He, and C. Liang. 2022a. “Utilization of desert sand in the production of sustainable cement-based materials: A critical review.” Constr. Build. Mater. 327 (Apr): 127014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.127014.
Zhang, Q., Q. Liu, H. Liu, J. Che, X. Chen, and S. I. Doh. 2021. “Effect of desert sand on the uniaxial compressive properties of mortar after elevated temperature.” Phys. Chem. Earth Parts A/B/C 121 (Feb): 102962. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2020.102962.
Zhang, W., M. L. Zheng, L. L. Zhu, and Y. Z. Lv. 2022b. “Mix design and characteristics evaluation of high-performance concrete with full aeolian sand based on the packing density theory.” Constr. Build. Mater. 349 (Sep): 128814. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.128814.
Zhang, W., M. L. Zheng, L. L. Zhu, Y. M. Ren, and Y. Z. Lv. 2022c. “Investigation of steel fiber reinforced high-performance concrete with full aeolian sand: Mix design, characteristics and microstructure.” Constr. Build. Mater. 342 (Aug): 128065. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.128065.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 35 • Issue 11 • November 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 10, 2022
Accepted: Apr 4, 2023
Published online: Aug 24, 2023
Published in print: Nov 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Jan 24, 2024
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.