Evaluation of mechanical properties of concrete produced with partial replacement of granite with ceramic tile waste

The need to sustain an eco-friendly environment and the increasing demand for crushed granite as coarse aggregate have prompted various studies on sustainable materials. This study evaluated the Ceramic Tile Waste (CTW) as coarse aggregate in concrete and ascertained its strength when compared to granite concrete. Crushed waste ceramic tiles obtained from demolished building sites were mixed with granite stones as a partial replacement in grade 20 concrete. The granite was replaced with Ceramic Tile Waste (CTW) at 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40% by weight, using a water-cement ratio of 0.5. Concrete cubes of size 100 mm x 100 mm x 100 mm were cast and tested for 7, 14, and 28 days to evaluate compressive strength, while the flexural strength and split tensile strength were only evaluated for 28 days. Other tests, such as slump, density, and water absorption, were also carried out. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and regression analysis were performed to assess the effect of CTW dosage on the compressive and flexural strengths of the concrete, including establishing the relationships between CTW content and the measured strength properties. The results showed that increasing CTW dosage reduced the concrete’s workability, density, compressive strength, flexural strength, and split tensile strength, while increasing water absorption. At 10% CTW dosage, the blended concrete achieved a 28-day compressive strength of 20.3 N/mm², satisfying the minimum strength requirement for structural concrete, although reductions of 14.5% and 12.1% were observed in flexural and split tensile strengths, respectively. The findings indicate that 10% CTW dosage provides a suitable balance between the utilization of ceramic waste and the minimum mechanical performance of concrete. The regression analysis provided a quadratic model with an adjusted R 2 of 0.9817 and 0.9752 for compressive and flexural strength models at 28 days of curing.