Properties of mortar using oyster shell as partial fine aggregate replacement

Abstract

The awareness about the massive extraction of river sand increases because it intensifies the destruction of river. At the same time, the oyster shell waste disposal from fisheries industry is rising and pollutes the environment. Therefore, the present research explores the effect of using crushed oyster shell as a partial fine aggregate on the flowability, compressive strength, and water absorption of mortar. Four mortar mixtures were made by replacing 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% of the sand with crushed oyster shells. The mixtures were then tested on their flowability, strength, and water absorption. The findings show that at 28 days, all mixes reached the targeted strength, with values varying from 22.87 MPa to 35.20 MPa. Generally, using cockle shell as fine aggregate replacement would decrease the demand of natural river sand for the construction industry and the pollution caused from oyster shell waste dumping.