The Influence of Service Live Factors on Concrete Mixed with Sea Sand and Seawater with the Addition of Zeolite on the Mechanical Properties of Concrete

The limitations of river water resources and river sand have driven the development of concrete that uses sea sand and seawater as alternative raw materials. The use of concrete with sea sand and seawater has been the focus of previous research to enhance the properties and strength of the concrete. In this study, natural zeolite powder, which is a natural material containing high silica (SiO 2 ) and alumina (Al 2 O 3 ), was utilized. The finely ground zeolite powder was added to the concrete mix with three variations: 5%, 7.5%, and 10% from weight of cement. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the mechanical properties of concrete using sea sand and seawater at the age of 14 and 56 days, comparing it with concrete using river sand and river water. Test results show a significant increase in compressive strength of concrete with the addition of zeolite powder, especially at the 7.5% concentration, compared to zeolite-free concrete. Although a decrease in compressive strength occurred at 56 days compared to 14 days, this decrease did not exceed the compressive strength value of zeolite-free concrete. Additionally, in the split tensile strength test of concrete, the results show positive development, with an increase in the split tensile strength value at 56 days, especially at the zeolite concentrations of 7.5% and 10%, compared to 14 days. This indicates that the addition of zeolite can enhance the concrete's ability to resist tensile forces, making it suitable for structures requiring high tensile strength.