Comparative Study of the Relationship between Physical Properties and Compressive Strength of Commercially Available Block Produced with Quarry Dust Produced in Abuja.
Dimgbah R.U1,Datok E.P2andAchuenu .E3
1,2,3Department of Building, Faculty of Environmental Sciences,
University of Jos, Nigeria.
Email: rdimgbah@gmail.com
Corresponding Author: Dimgbah R.U
ABSTRACT
The need to investigate the quality of commercially available blocks produced with quarry dust has become necessary due to non-adherence of commercially available sandcrete blocks produced with river sand to Nigeria industrial Standard (NIS) for compressive strength. This is due to ignorance on the part of the sandcrete block manufacturer of the existing standard requirement or compromise on the quality of materials used in block production. This study, as such, is a comparative study of physical properties of stone dust from selected commercial block manufacturers with view to determine their relationship with mechanical properties of the blocks produced. Ordinary Portland cement of grade 42.5, mix ratio of 1: 10 and 0.8 water/cement ratio was used for this study. Sample of mortar cubes were produced and crushed at 7, 14 and 28 days of curing ages and their values converted to compressive strength of blocks using uzomaka correlation. The results revealed at various curing ages, that sample C showed an optimal compressive strengths of 4.04N/mm2, 4.98N/mm2, 5.87N/mm2in comparison with A= 1.60N/mm2, 1.93N/mm2and 2.00N/mm2, B= 2.59N/mm2, 3.22N/mm2 and 3.70N/mm2, D= 2.62N/mm2, 4.71N/mm2and 3.83N/mm2and E= 0.78N/mm2, 1.08N/mm2and 1.19N/mm2 respectively. And sample E shows the lowest compressive strength at the various curing ages and there was a decline in the compressive strength of sample D between 14 and 28days curing age. From the results of grading of the quarry dust, sample A, B,C and E are not well graded because Cu= 18 and Cc =0.54(for sample A); Cu= 37.5 and Cc= 3.29(for sample B); Cu = 14.29 and Cc= 0.46(for sample C) and Cu = 20.83 and Cc= 0.53(for sample E) respectively. These values are not in line with (Arora 2011) that indicated when Cc is between 1 and 3, and Cu ≥ 6, for a well graded soil, while Sample D is well graded because Cu = 19.35 and Cc= 1.9 respectively. The study therefore, suggested that sample C should be used in production of dense load bearing walls blocks and sample D is not a good material block production.
Keywords: Compressive Strength, Physical Properties, Block, Quarry Dust.
