Effect of dune sand on the properties of flowing sand-concrete (FSC)

Sand-concrete is being researched for potential usage in construction in Saharan regions of Algeria, because of shortage in coarse aggregate resources. This research work deals with the effect of dune sand, available in huge quantities in these regions, on the properties of flowing sand-concrete (FSC) prepared with different proportions of dune and river sands. Mini-cone slump test, v-funnel flow-time test and viscosity measurements were used to characterize the behaviour of FSC in fresh state. The 28-day compressive strength was also determined. Test results show that an optimal content of dune sand, which makes satisfied fresh and hardened properties of FSC, is obtained. Moreover, the obtained flow index (constant b) calculated by the help of power-law viscosity model is successfully correlated to the experimental results of v-funnel flow time.