Performance of Cement Mortar Made with Fine Aggregates of Dune Sand, Kharga Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt: An Experimental Study

Fine aggregates of sand dunes cover an area of more than 16.6% of the total area of Egypt, especially in the Western Desert. In Kharga Oasis, about 400 km^2 are covered by sand dunes. Sustainable development in the Western Desert of Egypt can be impaired by hazards due to movements of dunes causing desertification which impacts farm lands and infrastructure such as asphaltic roads. The fine aggregates of these dunes are considered as an important natural source of fine aggregate making them a major component in concrete and mortar mixes. The dune sands in Kharga Oasis are composed mainly of quartz, feldspars and trace amounts of other minerals. The silt and clay contents are negligible. Using the USCS-classification, the studied dune sands are poorly graded sand (SP). Texturally, these dune sands are consisting of rounded spherical grains with less abundant angular components. The specific gravity varies in a very narrow range. The TDS-values ranged from 512 to 523 ppm. Calcium Carbonates (CaCO3)^2-, Sulphates (SO4)^2- and Chlorides Cl)^- are present with scarce amounts. Based on the grain-size, textural, mineralogical and chemical results obtained in this study, dune sands in Kharga Oasis can be used as fine aggregates in cement mortar.