Determination of Mechanical Properties of Marble Cement Mortar Using Pozzolanic Material

Abstract

In the marble production, huge quantity of marble is lost in the pattern of strange blocks of varying dimensions and dirt containing water and fine particles. When dry, the effluent turns into powder. Both mud and powder have negative impact on the surrounding. This experimentation focuses on the beneficial use of waste marble dust (WMD) to convert it into a valued binding material. To accomplish the objective, WMP and clay were gathered and tested to achieve their physical and chemical properties. A blend of WMP and clay was put together and burned at 1300oC. The burnt mixture was powdered to obtain marble cement (MC). The chemical formulation shows that MC contains 52.5% calcium silicate (C2S), 3.5% tricalcium silicate (C3S) and 23% free lime. The marble cement was then incorporated in mortar with various proportions of blast furnace slag 20%, 30% and 40%. The compressive and flexural strengths of mortar cubes and prisms were examined. Aside from this, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were also carried out. The compressive strength of MC mortar at 28 days is 156.12 psi is comparison to 885.27 psi of normal cement mortar, which is 82% less. Likewise, 91 and 182 days later, the compressive strength of MC mortar is 77% and 62% lesser than normal cement mortar. The addition of various proportions of blast furnace slag (20%, 30%, 40%) as marble cement replacement in MC mortar increased its compressive strength at all curing periods. The highest increment in compressive strength was observed in 40% blast furnace slag substituted mortar (B40) at 182 days curing. The similar strength development pattern was observed in case of flexural strength as well. Keywords— Marble Powder; Binding Material; Cement; Blast Furnace Slag; Mortar; Mechanical Properties.