EFFECT OF GROUNDED BONE POWDER ADDITION ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF CEMENT MORTAR ACCORDING TO BOTH THE EGYPTAIN CODE for CONCRETE STRUCTURAL (ECCS 203-2003) AND THE SAUDI BUILDING CODE (SBC 302-2007)

Using of wastes and by-products in the concrete industry has attained great potential in the last few years. The present work investigated experimentally the effect of using bone powder (BP), as an addition of cement, on the mechanical properties of mortar. The bone powders were added to cement by the percentages of 0, 5, 10 and 15% (weight %). Mortar mix having 10% silica fume (SF) addition (as a weight percent of cement) was also investigated. The sand to cement ratio in the mortar mixes was remained equal to 3 to 1. The water/cement ratio (W/C) was 0.55 for all cement mortar mixes. The mortar specimens were tested compression and indirect tension tests after of 7, 28, 90, 180 and 270 days. Abrasive wear test was also carried out on all mixes at 7 and 28 days. Compressive strength, tensile strength and abrasion resistance were estimated and compared for all variables. X-ray diffraction and microstructure analysis were also invoked to show phases transformation as a result of BP or SF addition after hardening. Test results indicated that mortar mixes could be successfully developed by incorporating bone powder. The mechanical properties of mortars mixes containing 5% bone powder recorded the highest compressive and tensile strengths. The addition of 10% or 15% BP is not recommended for compressive and tensile properties requirements, where the strength results recorded lower strength values compared to that of 0% BP. Although the abrasion resistance of mortar specimen improved by the addition of BP up to 10% at testing age of 7 days, the improvement was continued with the addition of 15 % BP at testing age of 28 days.