Kleber Gomes Ramirez, Edna Possan, Bianca Gabriel dos Santos Dezen and Mauricio Colombo
The purpose of this paper is to address the use of sludge from water treatment plant (WTP sludge), in its natural form (wet), in the construction industry, especially in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to address the use of sludge from water treatment plant (WTP sludge), in its natural form (wet), in the construction industry, especially in the production of concrete, evaluating the effects of replacing natural sand with different WTP sludge levels in the concrete properties.
Design/methodology/approach
The dosage study evaluated mixtures with replacement levels of 0, 5, 7 and 10 percent of wet sludge in relation to the mass of natural sand, analyzing their effects on mechanical properties and water absorption in concrete with water/cement (w/c) ratios of 0.45, 0.55 and 0.65.
Findings
From the results obtained, it is possible to note that the addition of WTP sludge in its natural form (wet) reduces the strength of concrete. However, from a technical point of view, a level of replacement of up to 5 percent for applications in concrete is suitable, provided that it is not structural concrete.
Practical implications
Further studies should be conducted to verify the influence of the replacement of sand for heat-treated sludge in concrete properties, also analyzing the environmental viability linked to the calcination process.
Originality/value
Few studies are conclusive in relation to the use of WTP sludge in concrete production. This study shows statistically the negative effect of the addition of wet sludge in the mechanical properties and in the water absorption of concretes from different w/c ratios.