The Properties of Lime/Soil Concrete

Abstract

The investigation of materials for replacing cement in concrete manufacturing has garnered steady interest from experts in recent years. However, the majority of past researches have only focused on the use of lime as a cement substitute in producing Lime Concrete. The reason for this is that lime concrete can be made easily and cheaply while still providing a durable material that can minimize negative environmental impacts. Even though lime is used as an alternative material the integration of a new material as a replacement for conventional aggregates has been limited. As a result, this study will attempt to examine the various compositions of hydraulic lime as a partial replacement of cement while completely replacing the coarse and fine aggregate with a soil to find the influence on the physical characteristics of Lime/Soil concrete. This will also help in decreasing the ecological imbalance caused due to the excess use of conventional aggregates. Locally available reddish-brown laterite soil was used in this study without any modifications. C30 concrete mixes containing 0%, 10%, 15% of hydraulic lime replaced with OPC and complete replacement of aggregate with laterite soil were casted before subjected to water curing. Workability, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and water absorption test were conducted in accordance with the existing standard. Based on the results obtained from the study it has shown that even with complete replacement of aggregate with laterite soil it was able to produce workable concrete with satisfactory strength that can be employed for ground improvements in pavement design and to manufacture economical non-load bearing concrete blocks. The targeted strength still can be achieved with replacement of 15% hydraulic lime for a lower cost. With the accomplishment from the composition, future studies will be able to better assess the long-term effects of construction operations on the environment.