Use of Waste Foundry Sand in Precast Concrete Paver Blocks—A Study with Belgaum Foundry Industry

The current study was undertaken at CHRIST (Deemed to be University) in Bangalore to investigate the potential of using waste sand from Belgaum foundries as fine aggregate in the production of precast concrete paver blocks. Concrete paver blocks were manufactured as per the recommendations of IS 15658:2006. M-35 grade of concrete with block thickness of 60 mm was considered as the design parameter. Waste Foundry Sand (WFS) and ground-Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) were replaced for manufactured sand and cement, respectively. WFS replacement rates were 15, 30, and 45% by weight of the manufactured sand, and that of GGBS was 30% constant by weight of cement. Obligatory performance tests were conducted as per Indian standards, which included compressive strength, water absorption, and abrasion resistance. Accordingly, paver blocks with 45% WFS showed satisfactory results and can be considered into non-traffic to light-traffic category, which finds application in places like building and monument premises, paths and patios, landscapes, public gardens, and parks. Cost comparison of conventional paver blocks with WFS paver blocks showed approximately 4.8% reduction in the cost of paver blocks containing 45% WFS.