DEVELOPING CONCRETE USING SEA SAND AS AN

AGGREGATE

KSR COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

TIRUCHENGODE- 637 215

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

PRESENTED BY,
S.VEERADHITHYAN,
YEAR: FINAL YEAR
MAIL ID:veeraadhithyan@gmail.com
CONTACT NO: 7845456943
V.SATHYAPRAKASH
YEAR:FINAL YEAR
MAIL ID:sathyaprakash000@gmail.com
CONTACT NO: 9629163532

make the cement concrete is aimed to

Abstract:

exploit maximally the potential of a local

This paper presents the research on

material

being

available,

cheap

for

sea sand concrete development using sea

socioeconomic developing and prevent

sand as an aggregate. Aggregates are among

from its harmful impaction.

the most basic materials for the construction

of almost all types of housing. They are

Keywords Sea sand, Aggregate, Cement

used for infrastructures fundamental to

concrete, Construction, Durability

human well being, such as building roads,

dams, bridges, dikes, etc. Industrialized

INTRODUCTION:

economies continue to consume large

quantities and the supply side of aggregates
become a major issue in the construction
industry. Of the total requirement, more
than 90% are extracted from riverbeds and
banks. Unlicensed extraction or extraction
in excess of authorized quantities have
caused severe erosion of river beds and
consequently damages to bridges and power
transmission towers, Moreover it damages
the regular flow of river and causes water to
stagnant. Widespread threats to bridges and
a case of collapse have been attributed to
aggregate extraction.

Government and

private sector constructors have to utilize

sea sand in place of river sand for
construction work. Due to the saltiness of
sea sand, steps are to be taken to purify sea
sand and to be supplied to the construction

Government

private

sector

constructors must be urged to utilize sea

sand in place of river sand for construction
work. Steps are to be taken to purify sea
sand and to be supplied to the construction
industry. Due to the saltiness of sea sand, the
durability of structures constructed using sea
sand is nearly 25 years. Two major issues
faced by the construction industry are
shortage

of

sand

and

continuously

increasing cement prices. A sustainable

solution could be found for cement shortage
and cement could be distributed to the
construction industry at a fair price. Sea
sand is available in plenty than river sand.
By utilizing the sea sand as an aggregate in
developing the concrete the cost of sand
may be reduced to a greater extent.

industry. Research to use sea sand for

construction, especially, using sea sand to

and

Concrete can be considered as the

most

cost-effective,

versatile

building

material,

and

when

reinforcement,

used

virtually

with

all

steel

instability

in

the

landscape,

creating

structural

dangerous cliffs or deep ponds. There are

elements, even complex shapes can be

concerns if excavated sites will be used to

formed. As conventional concrete is placed

dump hazardous wastes.

in its fluid state, there are often significant

Thus a logical profile and sustainable

costs associated with the necessary shutters

and formwork to hold the concrete in
position

while

it

sets

and

hardens.

Aggregates, i.e. sand and gravel, are among

the most basic materials fulfilling human
needs. They are used for constructions of
almost all types of housing. It is one of the
first domestic resources to be utilized in
developing
economies

economies.
continue

Industrialized

to consume large

quantities. Of the total requirement more

than 90% are extracted from riverbeds and
banks. Controlling extraction along rivers
has caused the illegal activities to spread
into hillside and farmlands, creating public
hazards such as landslide, deep ponds, and
hanging cliffs. Losses of lives have been
reported due to these hazards. The current
mode of aggregate development is indeed

future supply for sand and gravel can be

deduced. Of the 100 million m3 used
annually, 60 are gravel and 40 sand. 30% of
the total demand is expected to come from
sustainable extraction in the riverbeds,
yielding 15 million m3 of sand and gravel
each. This leaves 45 million m3 of gravel to
be

fulfilled

land-based

sources,

simultaneously yielding approximately 7

million m3 of sand. The remaining 18
million m3 of sand will have to be of marine
origin. This profile will eliminate damages
caused riverbed extraction and minimize
excavation,

water

waste. Research

to

usage,
use

and

sea

sand

mud
for

construction, especially, using sea sand to

make the cement concrete is aimed to
exploit maximally the potential of a local
material

unsustainable.

by

being

available,

cheap

for

socioeconomic developing and prevent from

As
sources,

an

alternative

land-based

sand

to

riverbed

its harmful impaction. However the study to

and

gravel,

use sea sand cement concrete is a big

although capable to supply huge quantities,

have a number of undesirable attributes.
Unregulated

excavation

has

caused

problem of civil engineering field.

CONCRETE DEVELOPMENT USING SEA

SAND:

Restrictions on distance and depth of

the site for marine sand extraction are

In many countries sea sand have

usually imposed. Turbidity is caused by

been using for making cement concrete

overflow of the dredging vessel operating at

since

its

sea. This may be solved by injection of

technology depends on the research

turbid water back to the sea bottom to allow

achievement and specific conditions of

the suspended mud to settle quickly.

each country. In India, sea sand up to now

Corrosion and destruction of concrete

has not been officially allowed to use in

structure,

the manufacture of cement concrete,

exploited beach sand, have caught great

mainly because of too small sand grains,

public attention in the past. The salt, in fact,

containing sea salt and also some minerals

remains on the surface of the sand grains

and other impurities. Sea sand, therefore,

only, which can be easily removed by

has not been comprehensively studied as a

rinsing with fresh water. Japanese marine

building material. Previous studies on sea

sand operations have shown that only 0.5 m3

sand was limited as a kind of soil, or other

of water is needed per m3 of sand to meet

discrete research, initially on sea sand

the standards of salt content. Another

cement mortar in some locations, local

concern about marine sand is its fineness.

specific .From such a context, the study of

By mixing with river sand which tend to be

coastal sea sand for use in construction,

on the coarse side of the spectrum,

especially in making cement concrete for

specifications of concrete can be met easily.

road

specially

The marine sand has greater roundness as

significance. To study the use of sea sand

compared to river sand, which is a desirable

cement concrete in such manufacturing

property of aggregate material.

long

time

construction

ago,

naturally,

is

caused

by

salt

in

illegally

scale and significance there should be a

Biological survey has found no

strategic research. On that basis, the

collective research of the University of
Transport headed by Dr. Tran Tuan Hiep
has made a plan for research

sensitive marine life or habitat so far and

will continue for the duration of the study.
On-land desalinization plant, wind breaks
and

PREVENTION OF BEACH EROSION:

quality

assurance

are

being

established. Several pre-mix concrete

manufacturers

have

indicated

great

It should be noted that the limit for

interests in using the new material and

prestressed concrete is 0.1% BS 882: 1992

agreed to test the working properties in

used these limits.

plant and on construction sites.

Objectives and strategy:

efEFFECTIVE CHLORINE REDUCTION:

Chloride

1. To measure the relevant properties of

offshore sand, namely grading, shell content
and chloride content, examining also the
effects of draining and simulated rain on the
chloride content.

content

tests

were

performed to study the chloride content in

the offshore sand under various conditions,
for example
(i) when the sand was saturated with sea

2. To study the corrosion properties of

water

reinforced concrete containing offshore sand

(ii) after the sea water had drained, and

with various chloride contents, using

(iii) after various amounts of fresh water had

accelerated corrosion testing.

percolated through the sand,

ACCEPTABLE CHLORIDE LEVELS:

The sea water was obtained from the

By far the greatest concern with

pump outlet at the stockpile. The sand was

respect to offshore sand is its chloride level,

retained at the bottom of the container on a

with

of

mesh, which allowed water to drain into a

corrosion. Most codes of practice specify

sump, which itself could either be sealed or

allowable chloride limits as percentages by

drained via an outlet valve. The container

weight of cement. The easiest to measure is

had four openings at three levels so that the

the total chlorides in the concrete mix, and

sand could be sampled at the top, bottom

here it must be remembered that Portland

and third points along the height, called

cement itself can have 0.010.05% Cl.

levels AD. The container was first filled

respect

to

the

enhancement

The most commonly used limit for

with offshore sand of typical grading and

total chlorides is the 0.4% limit (by weight

sea water, after the sand was fully saturated

of cement) specified in BS 5328: Part 1:

for over 24 hours. The sump valve was

1997 for reinforced concrete.

opened so that the sea water would drain

freely. After 5 days of draining, samples

were taken from the top, bottom and third

chlorides and was the control test. The

points in order to obtain a chloride profile

rationale for choosing the chloride levels in

with depth for the drained condition.

these

Another set of samples was taken after 27

performance of Series 2 and 3 was similarly

days of draining

satisfactory, in contrast to the unsatisfactory

series

was

to

show

that

the

performance of Series 1. Sea sand of typical

grading was used in these tests. As this sand
was stored outside the laboratory, it had
been washed by rain over a period of time
and was free of chlorides. All the sand
samples were oven dried prior to being used
in the concrete mix. The appropriate level of
chlorides was introduced by using sea water
established as having 1.91% Cl- as part of
the mixing water. fabricated 150 mm cube
moulds are to be used so that two mild steel
bars of 10 mm diameter could get embedded
in each cube.The moulds had a base plate
ACCELERATED CHLORINE REDUCTION:
The offshore sand mix for grade 20
was chosen for corrosion testing; because
this is the lowest grade used in practice for
structural concrete and would have the
greatest sand content. Hence the greatest
effects of corrosion would be found in grade
20 concrete. Three levels of chloride were
used in these tests. Series 1 corresponded to
a level of 0.3% by weight of sand. This
would correspond to a situation where the
sand was fully saturated with sea water.
Series 2 insand. Series 3 did not have any

with two holes into which the bars were

inserted and also an arrangement to locate
the bars at the top. Accelerated corrosion
testing requires specimens having bars with
small cover.A small mould cannot be used,
as concrete with 20 mm aggregate cannot be
vibrated into small moulds. Two alternatives
are either to use mortar specimens or to saw
specimens with small cover to bars from a
larger cast specimen. Both these alternatives
were

deemed

unsatisfactory,

as

they

deviated from the materials in actual

practice, bars are embedded in concrete with

covers to cast surfaces After 1 day drying,

the part of the bar protruding from the
bottom of the specimen and a small part of
the bar protruding from the top of the
specimen which is in contact with the
concrete should be coated with epoxy Two
of the specimens are left to dry until an age
of 14 days, after which they are placed in a
carbonation chamber that was initially filled
with CO2 and subsequently re-filled each
time the chamber was opened to take half-

cell potential readings. The other two are

cured in a water bath until an age of 14 days
and then immersed to roughly half their A ADVANTAGES :
height in a 5% NaCl solution. The half-cell
potential between the steel bar and the

Since the mud and clay content of

reference electrode was easured at the top,

sea sand is lower than that of river-

middle and bottom of each specimen,

sand the fewer clay particles attached

initially

to the sea-sand surface increase

at

weekly

intervals

for

the

carbonation chamber specimens and twice

bonding

weekly

bath

aggregate. The resistance of sea-sand

specimens; these intervals were considerably

mix to chloride ion penetration is

increased as changes in potential became

greater than that of mix containing

more gradual. The instrument employed had

ordinary river-sand.

intervals

for

the

NaCl

an Ag/AgCl probe, but the outputs were in

between

cement

and

When the water/cement ratio falls

the form of equivalent Cu/CuSO4 potentials.

within a range from 0.45 to 0.60

Although the exact boundary cannot be

water consumption per cubic meter

drawn with great certainty, it is widely

has more effect on the chloride ion

accepted that Cu/CuSO4.

diffusion coefficient than

water/cement ratio.

A regression model of chloride ion

been identified primarily on the ability and

diffusion in sea-sand concrete was

general exploitation of sea sand for road

presented. The model provides a

construction. The study on strength of

reference for designing durable

cement concrete using sea sand in

structures using sea-sand concrete in

localities above. The study focused on the

coastal areas.

strength of compression resistance and

tension bending strength.

CONCLUSION:
The use of sea sand for making
cement concrete has been studied and
carried out since long time in many

RREFERENCE:

countries around the world, however the use

of sea sand to manufacture cement concrete
is not permitted by standard. Ability to use
sea sand in construction, especially in the
manufacture of cement concrete for road
construction and protective works in coastal,
islands is very promising and effective . The
very well detailed study to make the sea
sand fit makes us to use the sand for the
construction of normal and reinforced
concrete. Sea sand is available in plenty
than river sand. By utilizing the sea sand as
an aggregate in developing the concrete the
cost of sand may be reduced to a greater
extent.
The study of sea sand on a large scale,
in many localities of 10 provinces of the
three regions: the Northern, Central and
South. From research results that have

Durability of sea-sand
containing concrete: Effects of
chloride ion penetration.
-Mining Science and
Technology.
Corrosion of steel in concrete and structure
durability. - Hong NF.
Coastal area sea sand concretes and simple
beam durability preliminary
Study- Gao Q.