Influence of Stone Quarry Dust on the Performance of Reinforced Concrete Structure

The utilization of stone quarry dust (SQD) in the construction industry in India has seen a significant rise due to the increasing demand for sustainable construction materials. Stone quarry dust, a byproduct of crushing stones in quarries, is being used as a partial replacement for sand in concrete and mortar mixes. This utilization not only helps in reducing the environmental impact of waste disposal but also lowers the cost of construction. Under the goal of the ‘waste to wealth’ theme, the aim is to utilize the stone dust generated from stone crusher plants. This also reduces the depletion of natural sand in the construction industries. The stone quarry dust is procured from the nearest stone crushes near Aligarh and used in the concrete, wherein, natural sand is partially replaced by SQD in different percentages from 15% to 65%. Concrete cubes and reinforced beams were cast with varied % ages of SQD. In general, it was found that the performance of concrete was enhanced at 45% addition of SQD. The compressive strength of concrete (M20) increased by 24%. Whereas, the flexural strength of the reinforced beam was increased by 27%. This increased performance of the concrete with SQD may be due to the presence of more angular fine aggregate and thus enhances the bonding in aggregates.