Development of Statistical Models to Predict the Compressive Strength of Concrete Produced Using Quarry Dust as Partial Replacement for Fine Aggregate

Abstract

Concrete is an assemblage of Cement, aggregates and water. The most frequently used fine aggregate for concrete production is sand sourced from river banks. The continuous use of this river sand as a result of rapid infrastructural development has resulted in its scarcity and often high cost. This paper examines the suitability of using quarry dust (QD) as partial replacement for fine aggregate in concrete production. Preliminary test (specific gravity) was conducted on the aggregates to determine their suitability for concrete production. Concrete with 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% QD – Fine aggregate content was cast with a mix ratio of 1:2:4. The freshly prepared Quarry Dust Concrete (QDC) was cast in moulds measuring 150 x 150 x 150mm and cured using ponding method. The Compressive strength result shows that replacement of fine aggregate with QD leads to a general increase in compressive strength of concrete. Statistical package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 was utilised to develop the linear regression models for the 7 and 28 days compressive strength of the QDC. The developed models were found to be sufficient in predicting the 7 and 28 days compressive strengths with R2 values of 98.9% and 95.2 % respectively.