The construction sector in Burkina Faso faces increasing challenges related to the scarcity and environmental impact of natural river sand extraction. In this context, quarry by-products, such as crushed granite sand (CGS), represent a potential alternative that remains under-exploited. This experimental study evaluated the feasibility of substituting natural river sand (NS) with CGS in the formulation of hydraulic concrete. Five concrete mixtures were prepared with substitution levels of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% CGS, while maintaining a constant water-to-cement ratio of 0.47. Workability was controlled by adjusting the dosage of the superplasticizer. The concrete samples were tested for density and porosity, compressive and tensile strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity, capillary absorption, and resistance to acid attack. The incorporation of CGS significantly improved the mechanical and durability properties of concrete. At 28 days, the compressive strength of CGS100 mix reached 39.33 MPa, compared to 30.64 MPa for the reference mix CGS0. The improved performance is attributed to the higher fines content and angular particle shape of CGS, which enhances packing density and intergranular bonding. This study demonstrates that CGS can effectively replace NS in hydraulic concrete without compromising performance. In contrast, it enhances both strength and durability while promoting the sustainable use of locally available CGS materials. Therefore, CGS represents a promising solution for addressing the dual challenges of environmental preservation and material supply in Burkina Faso and similar contexts.
References
[1]
Rentier, E.S. and Cammeraat, L.H. (2022) The Environmental Impacts of River Sand Mining. ScienceoftheTotalEnvironment, 838, Article 155877. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155877
[2]
Hussain, J., Rashid, G. and Singh, R. (2022) Impacts of Sand Mining on Riverine Ecosystems: A Short Review. Inventum Biologicum: An International Journal of Biological Research, 2, 105-108.
[3]
Hemmler, K.S., Tarpaga, W.E.G., Himmy, O. and Buerkert, A. (2025) Social-Ecological Dynamics of Aggregate Mining in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Scientific Reports, 15, Article No. 14811. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-98929-6
[4]
Mundra, S., Sindhi, P.R., Chandwani, V., Nagar, R. and Agrawal, V. (2016) Crushed Rock Sand—An Economical and Ecological Alternative to Natural Sand to Optimize Concrete Mix. Perspectives in Science, 8, 345-347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pisc.2016.04.070
[5]
Gupta, L.K. and Vyas, A.K. (2018) Impact on Mechanical Properties of Cement Sand Mortar Containing Waste Granite Powder. Construction and Building Materials, 191, 155-164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.09.203
[6]
Kirthika, S.K., Singh, S.K. and Chourasia, A. (2020) Alternative Fine Aggregates in Production of Sustainable Concrete—A Review. JournalofCleanerProduction, 268, Article 122089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122089
[7]
Aboagye, B., Gosselin, R. and Wilson, W. (2026) Influence of Manufactured Sand on Concrete Properties: A Review. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 53, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjce-2025-0243
[8]
Shen, W., Liu, Y., Wang, Z., Cao, L., Wu, D., Wang, Y., et al. (2018) Influence of Manufactured Sand’s Characteristics on Its Concrete Performance. Construction and Building Materials, 172, 574-583. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.03.139
[9]
Raja, M.G. and Ramalingam, M.K. (2016) Experimental Study on Partial Replacement of Fine Aggregate by Granite Powder in Concrete. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, 2, 202-209.
[10]
Prokopski, G., Marchuk, V. and Huts, A. (2020) The Effect of Using Granite Dust as a Component of Concrete Mixture. Case Studies in Construction Materials, 13, e00349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscm.2020.e00349
[11]
Sharma, S. and Vyas, A.K. (2023) A Study on Use of Granite Powder and Crusher Dust as Fine Aggregate in Cement Mortar. Materials Today: Proceedings, 93, 176-181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2023.07.115
[12]
Standard NF EN 933-1 (2012) Tests for Geometrical Properties of Aggregates—Part 1: Determination of Particle Size Distribution—Sieving Method.
[13]
Standard NF EN 197-1 (2012) Cement—Part 1: Composition, Specifications and Conformity Criteria for Common Cements.
[14]
Standard ASTM C642-21 (2022) Standard Test Method for Density, Absorption, and Voids in Hardened Concrete.
[15]
Standard NF EN 12390-3 (2019) Testing Hardened Concrete—Part 3: Compressive Strength of Test Specimens.
[16]
Standard ASTM D3967-23 (2023) Standard Test Method for Splitting Tensile Strength of Intact Rock Core Specimens with Flat Loading Platens.
[17]
Standard ASTM C597-22 (2023) Standard Test Method for Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity through Concrete.
[18]
RILEM TC 116-PCD (1999) Permeability of Concrete as a Criterion of Its Durability, Materials and Structure, 32, 163-173.
[19]
Savadogo, N., Messan, A., Hannawi, K. and Prince-Agbodjan, W. (2015) Durability of Composite Cement with Tefereyre (NIGER) Coal Bottom Ash: Capillary Absorption, Porosity to Water and Acid Attack. Journal of Materials and Engineering Structures, 2, 213-223.
[20]
Rajput, S.P.S. (2018) An Experimental Study on Crushed Stone Dust as Fine Aggregate in Cement Concrete. MaterialsToday: Proceedings, 5, 17540-17547. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2018.06.070
[21]
Donza, H., Cabrera, O. and Irassar, E.F. (2002) High-Strength Concrete with Different Fine Aggregate. Cement and Concrete Research, 32, 1755-1761. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0008-8846(02)00860-8
[22]
Kenai, S., Soboyejo, W. and Soboyejo, A. (2004) Some Engineering Properties of Limestone Concrete. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 19, 949-961. https://doi.org/10.1081/amp-200030668
[23]
Berodier, E. and Scrivener, K. (2014) Understanding the Filler Effect on the Nucleation and Growth of C-S-H. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 97, 3764-3773. https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.13177
[24]
Ouyang, X., Koleva, D.A., Ye, G. and van Breugel, K. (2017) Insights into the Mechanisms of Nucleation and Growth of C-S-H on Fillers. Materials and Structures, 50, Article No. 213. https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-017-1082-y
[25]
Wang, D., Shi, C., Farzadnia, N., Shi, Z., Jia, H. and Ou, Z. (2018) A Review on Use of Limestone Powder in Cement-Based Materials: Mechanism, Hydration and Microstructures. Construction and Building Materials, 181, 659-672. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.06.075
[26]
Li, X. and Cao, M. (2024) Recent Developments on the Effects of Micro-and Nano-Limestone on the Hydration Process, Products, and Kinetics of Cement. Materials, 17, Article 2133. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17092133
[27]
Singh, S., Khan, S., Khandelwal, R., Chugh, A. and Nagar, R. (2016) Performance of Sustainable Concrete Containing Granite Cutting Waste. Journal of Cleaner Production, 119, 86-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.02.008
[28]
Singh, S., Nagar, R. and Agrawal, V. (2016) A Review on Properties of Sustainable Concrete Using Granite Dust as Replacement for River Sand. Journal of Cleaner Production, 126, 74-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.03.114
