STM Article Repository

This chapter focused on the development of a design methodology for the manufacture of foamed concrete building blocks, with comparable compressive strength, using quarry dust as replacement for manufactured sand. Foamed concrete is a versatile construction material, which is light in weight as well as thermally resistive. It can be made in different densities in the range of 300 to 1800 kg/m3 by adjusting the quantity of stable foam. Since there is depletion of river sand, an attempt has been made in this paper to study the possibility of utilizing manufactured sand as fine aggregate. Further, quarry dust, an industrial waste material, has been used as a substitute for manufactured sand for the production of foamed concrete. Quarry dust has been added at different percentages from 50 to 100. Protein type foaming agent has been used for the production of stable foam. It has been observed that 70% of manufactured sand can be replaced with quarry dust to achieve the maximum compressive strength compared to that of control concrete. Thermal conductivity has been observed to be decreased with increase in quarry dust content. Hence, a very sustainable foamed concrete can be prepared with the use of huge quantity of quarry dust.