Sawdust types effective as partial replacements of fine aggregate in concrete

Abstract

The paper examined the types of sawdust suitable as partial replacements of fine aggregate in concrete. Two different types of sawdust sourced from Afara and Doka wood species were used for the experiment. DoE Method was used to design and produce three sets of concrete cube samples, i.e. Control concrete, Doka sawdust concrete and Afara sawdust concrete, each of grade 20. The cubes were subjected to compressive strength and water absorption tests. The result showed that, the control concrete, Doka and Afara sawdust concretes gained a compressive strength of 22.6 N/mm², 19.6 N/mm² and 17.6 N/mm², respectively. The control and Doka sawdust concretes exhibited low water absorption when compared with Afara sawdust concrete. This revealed Doka sawdust as more suitable than Afara sawdust for partial replacement of fine aggregate in concrete.

Keywords: Concrete, Sawdust, waste recycling