Strength, Water Absorption and Porosity of Concrete Incorporating Natural and Crushed Aggregate

• Published in: Journal of King Saud University. Engineering sciences Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 109 - 119
• Main Authors: Alsayed, Saleh H., Amjad, Mohammad A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 1996; Elsevier
• ISSN: 1018-3639; 1018-3639
• DOI: 10.1016/S1018-3639(18)30642-1

This paper presents the results of an extensive experimental program which was carried out to study the influence of Riyadh area aggregates on the compressive strength, water absorption, and porosity of the concrete. Parameters involved were crushed washed aggregate, natural unwashed aggregate, and four different water cement ratios. Natural aggregates are characterized as porous limestone rocks with high water absorption, low bulk specific gravity, excessively dusty degraded, and contain large quantities of very fine sand. Test results indicate that with proper selection of mix proportions and adequate compaction both aggregates can be used to produce concrete with ultimate compressive strength that is usually specified for most concrete structural applications. Results also indicate that the natural aggregate concrete has less compressive strength, less porosity and higher water absorption compared to that of concrete made with crushed aggregate. This is true for 0.4, 0.45, 0.5, and 0.55 water cement ratios.