An experimental study on reuse of CDW with ferrosilicon waste as fine aggregate in mortar

In general, the river sand is used as fine aggregate, leading to large-scale riverine mining, causing multi-faceted stresses, such as embankment erosions, water pollution, and landslides. To abate such problems, new materials must replace the sand. Many projects use construction and demolition waste (CDW) as a recycled coarse aggregate for concrete. In the field of fine aggregate, similar advanced studies have yet to be explored further. The work aims to reuse waste materials as recycled fine aggregate (RFA) in mortar and to reduce the volume of natural sand that is quarried from the river. Based on several test results, the performance of ferrosilicon slag (FSS) and CDW, as RFA in mortar, is found satisfactory; the optimal percentage of sand replacement for both was determined by the experimental study, and a cost-effective analysis has been performed further. The recommended replacement of CDW and FSS, as RFA, was found to be 35% each. As per the results obtained, the cost of CDW is found to be Rs 3918.18 per cubic metre, which is less than the specified amount in Arunachal Pradesh schedule of rates (APSR), whereas for FSS it is found to be Rs 4290.58, which is slightly more than the APSR.