Development of sustainable high-performance desert sand concrete: Engineering and environmental impacts of compression casting

River sand is essential for concrete but its production depletes 50 billion tons of resources annually causing scarcity and environmental issues. Desert sand (DS) covering 6 million square kilometers could help address this scarcity but has inferior properties. This study develops high-strength desert sand concrete (DSC) using 100 % DS through compression casting. Nine concrete mixes were prepared with varying DS replacement levels (0, 50, 100 %) and design strengths (30, 50, 70 MPa). Compression casting improved DSC's compressive and split tensile strength by up to 93 % and 54 % respectively compared to traditional concrete. It also reduced water absorption and voids by up to 41 % and 34 % and enhanced chloride and carbonation resistance by up to 64 % and 100 %. XRD, DSC-TG, and SEM analyses also confirm these results. Compression casting of DSC cut costs, CO₂ emissions, and energy consumption by up to 57 %, 43 %, and 42 % respectively. This innovative DSC offers superior engineering, environmental, and economic benefits as a sustainable alternative to traditional concrete.