Construction Application of Recycled Sands

**3**

**Chapter 1**

**Abstract**

**1. Introduction**

A Review on the Usage of Recycled

Sand in the Construction Industry

The construction industry requires natural sand for many applications. The recycled sand obtained from industrial operations can also be utilized in construction activities. Many industries generate waste sand as a byproduct. The material generated from this discarded molds and cores is usually known as "used foundry sand," "waste foundry sand," or "spent foundry sand." A vast quantity of used foundry sand is generating and heaping globally in a day-by-day manner. In this review article, an attempt is made to explore the characteristics and various utilizations of this recycled sand from the foundry industry as a valuable resource material in construction activities. From the analysis of the multiple types of research done so far on the reuse of waste foundry sand, it is found that the waste foundry sand is reusable in different civil engineering applications with added advantages. The advantageous applications of used foundry sand are ranging from the road base material to the substitute to fine aggregate in high-performance self-compacting concrete. More generally used foundry sand in the range of 10–30% is best suitable as a partial substitute to regular sand in mortar and concrete making. The use of recycled sand such as waste foundry sand in the construction industry can not only eliminate the problems of waste management and environmental impacts but also substantially boost up the sustainable developmental activities by way of reducing the consumption of natural resources.

**Keywords:** concrete, mortar, road base, used foundry sand, workability

From the early civilization of humankind, as a construction material, sand is used extensively. In clay bricks, mud mortars, and lime mortars, the sand finds applications. When the concrete emerged as a construction material, the sand became an integral part of this versatile material. After the stone age, metals were used in making the tools and utensils. For the production of metal items, foundry operations are invariably required. For mold making, the sand has been used from the beginning of the usage of metals in the day-to-day life of the human being. The foundries utilize the sand for two critical applications of mold making and core making. As stated by Javed and Lovell [1], the mold is the outside container of the casting, and the core is the form for achieving the internal shape and cavities within the casted metal structure. Now also, the sand is the primary constituent matter of the mold or core making materials. Silica sand, along with binders

*Parappallil Meeran Rawther Salim and* 

*Bellam Siva Rama Krishna Prasad*
