Experimental Study of Artificial Sand Concrete

Conventionally concrete is a mix of cement, sand and aggregate. There is a large variation in the strength of concrete due to variation in the strength of aggregates used. There is scarcity of natural sand due to heavy demand in growing construction activities which forces to find the suitable substitute. The cheapest and the easiest way of getting substitute for natural sand is by crushing natural stone to get artificial sand of desired size and grade which would be free from all impurities. This paper presents the feasibility of the usage of artificial sand obtained by crushing basalt over natural sand considering technical, environmental and commercial factors. For the purpose of experimentation concrete mixes are designed for M20, M30 and M40 grades by 100% replacement of natural sand to artificial sand. Compressive and flexural tests are conducted to study the strength of concrete using artificial sand and the results are compared with that of natural sand concrete.