Performance evaluation of green mortar comprising ceramic waste as cement and fine aggregates replacement

Abstract

Amongst the potential solutions to a cleaner environment is to minimize the solid waste generation. The application of solid wastes in sustainable construction has attracted much attention due to the potential properties and low cost. In this study, the potential use of waste ceramic as cement and a fine aggregate replacement was investigated. Two mortar mixes were made: one as control with OPC and natural sand, while in the other mix the OPC was replaced by ceramic powder by 40% and fine aggregates were replaced by fine ceramic particles by 100%. Microstructural analyses then assessed the effect of waste ceramic on the performance of mortar. The results show that ceramic powder together with fine ceramic particles reduced the workability of mortar. It has been found that mortar mix containing waste ceramic obtained higher compressive and tensile strengths. The drying shrinkage of ceramic mortar was also found to be lower than that of OPC mortar. The effects of ceramic wastes on the performance of mortar were detected to be more considerable at ultimate ages owing to the pozzolanic nature of ceramic powder. The study revealed that the waste ceramic powder and finer particles are potential to be used in a sustainable mortar by improving the mechanical and microstructural properties.