BLOQUES RECTANGULARES DE HORMIGÓN PARA PAVIMENTOS ENTRELAZADOS: UTILIZACIÓN DE ARENA DE FUNDICIÓN USADA COMO SUSTITUTO DE LA ARENANATURAL

The foundry industry generates large quantities of spent foundry sand (SFS), a solid waste. The use of SFS as a substitute for natural sand is a more sustainable solution to address disposal issues. In this study, rectangular concrete blocks were developed for use in paving with total replacement of natural sand by SFS contaminated with phenolic resins. This allowed for an analysis of the influence of SFS on concrete properties. The SFS was characterized using X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, thermal analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The blocks' mechanical and chemical properties demonstrate their technical feasibility and compliance with Brazilian pavement application regulations (compression strength > 50 MPa and water absorption < 6%). Therefore, this study suggests that producing rectangular concrete blocks with total sand replacement with SFS is a more sustainable, technically and economically feasible alternative.