DEVELOPMENT OF SAWDUST CONCRETE FOR BLOCK MAKING

Dr. R. Sri Ravindrarajah

Centre for Infrastructure Research, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

Chistopher Carroll
and

Nick Appleyard
Civil Engineers, Sydney, Australia

SAWDUST

RADIATA PINE

SAWDUST VARIABILITY
PARTCLE SIZE AND SHAPE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION DENSITY COLOUR

SAWDUST USAGE
ABUNDANCE IN TROPICAL COUNTRIES WASTE MATERIAL FROM TIMBER SAWING LIMITED USE AS FUEL FOR COOKING DISPOSAL METHOD: OPEN BURNING

PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE USE OF SAWDUST IN CONCRETE

AFFECT THE SETTING AND HARDENING OF CONCRETE PRE-TREATMENT SUCH AS WASHING MIXING DIFFICULTY

LIGHTWEIGHT MATERIALS USED IN CONCRETE

AIR VOIDS EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE BEAD SAWDUST EXPANDED CLAY, SHALE NATURAL LIGHTWEIGHT AGGREGATES

PURPOSES OF THIS STUDY

TO STUDY THE ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF SAWDUST CONCRETE TO DEVELOP AN OPTIMUM MIX COMPOSITION FOR BLOCK-MAKING (OVER 12.5 MPa ) TO DEVELOP FUTURE RESEARCH NEEDS

SAWDUST CONCRETE
PORTLAND CEMENT (ORDINARY) FLY ASH (LOW-CALCIUM) NATURAL SAND SAWDUST (WITHOUT PRETREATMENT) WATER CALCIUM CHLORIDE (TO ACCELERATE SETTING) LIME (TO INCREASE THE ALKALINITY)

REFERENCE CONCRETE
CEMENT FLY ASH SAND SAWDUST (PINE) CALCIUM CHLORIDE LIME WATER WATER/[CEMENT + FLY ASH] 34% 6% 12% 3% 2% 3% 41% 0.34

DETERMINATION OF OPTIMUM SAWDUST CONTENT

WATER/[CEMENT + FLY ASH] = 0.34 SAWDUST CONTENT (7 MIXES)
3 %, 4 %, 5 %, 7 %, 8 %, 10 % & 12 %

DETERMINATION OF OPTIMUM WATER TO BINDER RATIO

WATER/[CEMENT + FLY ASH]
0.32, 0.35, 0.40, 0.46, 0.51, 0.57

SAWDUST CONTENT (18 MIXES)

8 %, 10 % & 12 %

DETERMINATION OF OPTIMUM CALICUM CHLORIDE CONTENT

WATER/[CEMENT + FLY ASH] 0.40, 0.46, 0.51 SAWDUST CONTENT (9 MIXES) 8%, 10% & 12% CALCIUM CHLORIDE CONTENT 0%, 2%, 4%

BATCHING SEQUENCE
SAND SAWDUST FLY ASH HALF OF THE MIXING WATER CEMENT, LIME, CALCIUM CHLORIDE REST OF THE MIXING WATER

7-day C omp. S tr. (M P a)

50 40 30 20 10 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Sawdust Content (%)

7 -day Comp. S tr. (MP a)

30 25 20 15 10 5 0 0.30 0.35

Sawdust content (%) 8% 10% 12%

0.40 0.45 0.50 0.55 0.60

Water/(Cement + Fly Ash)

Comp. S trength (MPa)

40 30 20 10 0 1400

1500

1600

1700

1800

1900

2000

Wet Density (kg/m3)

Wet density (kg/m3)

2000 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Sawdust Content (%)

Comp. Str. (MPa)

40 30 20 10 0 0

Calcium Chloride

2%

0%

4%

10

15 Age (Days)

20

25

30

CONCLUSIONS
BATCHING SEQUENCE INFLUENCES THE SAWDUST CONCRETE PROPERTIES SAWDUST 12% BY VOLUME; 2% CALCIUM CHLORIDE, AND 0.51 (WATER/CEMENT + FLY ASH) PRODUCED THE DENSITY OF 1520 kg/m3 WITH THE 28-DAY STRENGTH OF 16.5 MPa

CONCLUSIONS
SAWDUST IS AN IDEAL FILLER MATERIAL TO PRODUCE LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE BLOCKS OPTIMUM MIX PROPORTIONS MAY DEPEND ON SAWDUST TYPE

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS
LOAD/NON-LOAD BEARING BLOCKS NOISE BARRIERS PAVING BLOCKS WALL PANELS FLOOR PANELS PERMANENT FORMWORK

FUTURE RESEARCH NEEDS

LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE BLOCKS SHOULD BE STUDIED FOR THE FOLLOWING PROPERTIES VOLUME STABILITY RELATED TO MOISTURE AND LOAD FIRE RESISTANCE INSULATION PROPERTIES TENSILE AND ELASTIC PROPERTIES

FUTURE RESEARCH NEEDS

REMOVAL OF LIME FROM THE MIX INCLUSION OF COARSE AGGREGATE MOISTURE CONDITION OF SAW DUST FIRE RESISTANCE APPLYING CASTING PRESSURE