Comparative study on the use of quarry waste and river sand as fine aggregates in pervious concrete performance

Abstract

This study examines the use of quarry waste as a partial replacement for coarse aggregate in pervious concrete, aiming to enhance its mechanical strength, permeability, and durability while promoting sustainability in construction. Various pervious concrete mixes were prepared with different levels of river sand and quarry waste replacements (4%, 8%, and 12%) and tested for compressive strength, flexural strength, impact strength, permeability, porosity, and abrasion resistance. The results indicate that quarry waste significantly enhances mechanical properties, with the 12% replacement mix showing a 49.1% increase in compressive strength (8.04 MPa) compared to the 5.39 MPa of the control mix. Additionally, quarry waste led to a notable reduction in porosity, reaching 0.318 at the 12% level compared to 0.343 for the control. While both materials reduced permeability, quarry waste maintained higher values than river sand, with the optimal 8% replacement (Q8) providing a permeability of 4.77 cm/s, which is 25% higher than the 3.79 cm/s observed for the R12 river sand mix. Furthermore, quarry waste-based mixes exhibited improved abrasion resistance, with weight loss as low as 36.7% at 200 revolutions. This study shows that using 8% quarry waste in concrete results in a 31% strength increase while keeping its hydrological performance high. It highlights that quarry waste is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternative to river sand, improving both strength and durability. The findings offer valuable insights into the use of quarry waste in sustainable construction and lay the groundwork for future research into optimizing pervious concrete mixes for specific applications.