Flexural strength tests of a composite concrete and coffee husk cobblestone for use in pedestrian and light vehicular traffic surfaces, according to NTC 2017 Standard

Abstract

Introduction: The article is the product of the research “Characterization of a composite concrete and coffee husk cobblestone for use in pedestrian and light vehicular traffic surfaces”, developed at the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, in 2022. Objective: Evaluate the viability of using coffee husks as a partial substitute in the manufacture of cobblestone according to the Colombian Technical Standard “NTC 2017, Concrete cobblestones for Paving”. Methodology: The design, manufacture and analysis of cobbles was developed under the Colombian Technical Standard 2017.  The coffee husk employed for the manufacture of the cobblestones was used in mixtures equivalent to 10%, acting as a substitute for sand and cement. Conclusions: The experimental data suggests that the coffee husk mixture should not exceed 10%. The Flexural Strength values increased significantly in comparison to the mixtures whose coffee husk percentages were in ranges between 0.5 and 1.0%. Originality: Following the bibliographical review, we propose and elaborate upon the idea of using composite concrete and coffee husk cobblestone for pedestrian and light vehicular traffic surfaces Limitations: There were no limitations as the materials used are of conventional use.