Identification properties of concrete containing coconut shell as replacement of sand

Abstract

Nowadays, people are paying more attention on the sustainability in construction field. Therefore, the engineers are finding the ways to improve the quality of the concrete using recycle or waste product. One of the methods is to mix the coconut shell with the concrete. In this research, coconut shell-waste material from coconut part is used. The research sample are measured in physical and engineering and then compared to the standard concrete. Coconut shell was added in the proportion of 5%, 10% and 15% by weight of the sand. The laboratory test includes slump test, density, water absorption and compressive strength. All tests methodology is referring to British Standard (BS) except normal consistency test is refer to American Standard (ASTM). Concrete cubes of size 100mm x 100mm x 100mm were casted for colour and surface, density, water absorption and compressive strength. From test, it was found that concrete with higher percentages of coconut shell has lower workability. For compressive strength, concrete with 5% coconut shell content provides the highest strength with 30.197 MPa compared to the other percentages but still lower compared to the control set. Since the test show good result with reducing the ratio, the concrete of 5% can be used in the slab that support small load.