Compressive strength of concrete containing Itakpe Iron ore tailings.

Abstract

Abstract The conventional material used as fine aggregate in concrete production is natural sand. However, due to depletion of the environment, as a result of huge consumption of natural sand, there has been extensive research into alternative materials suitable to partially or fully replace natural sand as fine aggregate in concrete. In this research Itakpe Iron Ore Tailings (IIOTs) was used as partial replacement of sand in concrete production. The IIOTs was obtained from different locations at the tailings dump sites of National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO) in Itakpe, Kogi State, Nigeria. This study hereby looks into the effects of partial replacement of natural sand with Itakpe Iron Ore Tailings (IIOTs) as fine aggregate in concrete. Based on the British Research Establishment method, a normal weight concrete mix was designed with a target strength of 30 N/mm2. IIOTs was used to replace sand at intervals of 10% ranging from 0% to 40%, resulting in one control sample without IIOTs and four others containing IIOTs. Concrete cubes measuring 150 x 150 x 150 mm were cast and their slump, compacting factor, density and compressive strengths determined. The result showed that concrete sample containing 30 % IIOTs has the optimum compressive strength value of 49.6 MPa at 28 days, while the control concrete recorded the least value of 45.8 MPa.