Volume 8, No. 3, September 2020
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Potential of Anthill Soil as a Pozzolan in Concrete

John Kamau1, Ash Ahmed1, Joseph Kangwa2
1.Civil Engineering Group. Leeds Beckett University, West Yorkshire, Leeds, England, UK.
2.London South Bank University, London, England, UK.
Abstract: Cement is the most utilised construction material and the second most consumed commodity in the world after water. It has been reported that the heavily energy-intensive processes that are involved in its production account for about 7 to 10 % of the total global anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the main cause of climate change; and are also expensive economically. Energy and cost efficiency can however be achieved by reducing on the amount of clinker, and in its place utilising pozzolans, which require less process heating and emit lower levels of CO2. This research aimed to provide an original contribution to the body of knowledge by investigating Anthill Soil (AHS) for pozzolanic properties. Cement was replaced in concrete with AHS by weight using 5% increments by weight, from 0 to 30% at the point of need. Durability was investigated using the water absorption and sulfate tests. Results of the chemical analysis by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) showed that AHS contained the chemical composition required for pozzolans, and the compressive strengths achieved were for classes that are listed by standards as being durable and suitable for structural applications. The behaviour of AHS in workability, density, gain in compressive strength over time, water absorption and sulfate tests were also consistent with the characteristics of pozzolans, leading to a conclusion that it may be suitable for use as a pozzolan to improve the properties of concrete, reduce on the harmful effects of cement production to the environment and lower the overall cost of concrete, allowing for the construction of low cost buildings.

Key words: Anthill soil, cement replacements, pozzolans, sustainability of concrete.

Cite: John Kamau, Ash Ahmed, Joseph Kangwa, "Potential of Anthill Soil as a Pozzolan in Concrete," International Journal of Materials Science and Engineering, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 93-98, September 2020. doi: 10.17706/ijmse.2020.8.3.58-73.

Copyright © 2020 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).

 

General Information

ISSN: 2315-4527 (Print)
Abbreviated Title: Int. J. Mater. Sci. Eng.
Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Emeritus Dato' Dr. Muhammad Yahaya
DOI: 10.17706/ijmse
Abstracting/ Indexing: Ulrich's Periodicals Directory, Google Scholar, Crossref
E-mail: ijmse@iap.org