Binary and ternary effects of ground dune sand and blast furnace slag on the compressive strength of mortar

The aim of this study is to promote the use of available natural dune sand from desert areas as a partial cement replacement. Binary and ternary combinations of ground dune sand (GDS), Portland cement (PC) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) were investigated for their effects on the compressive strength of mortar cured under standard or autoclave curing conditions. The results showed that the compressive strength decreased significantly with increasing GDS and GGBS contents under standard curing. However, with autoclave curing, all of the binary and ternary mixtures yielded mortar with a compressive strength higher than that of the control sample. The autoclave-cured ternary combination of 30% GDS, 50% PC and 20% GGBS showed the highest compressive strength. It is possible to use a PC content as low as 10% since the mixture of 30% GDS, 10% PC and 60% GGBS displayed strength comparable to the control sample.