Impacts of ground periwinkle shells on the compressive of strength of sandcrete blocks

Abstract

In the search for sustainable construction practices, the utilization of agricultural waste byproducts holds promise for mitigating environmental impact. This study investigated the efficacy of incorporating periwinkle shell particles as a partial replacement for sand in sandcrete blocks. The periwinkle shells were ground and separated into three groups based on their particle size. Group 1 consists of ground periwinkle shells of size 2mm to 4.75mm, Group 2 of size 0.85mm to 1.18mm and Group 3 of size less than 0.6mm. Compressive strength results on the periwinkle shell sandcrete blocks revealed distinct compressive strength profiles for the three groups. Group 2 exhibits the highest strengths, peaking at 6.7N/mm² at 10% replacement of sand with ground periwinkle shells, surpassing Nigerian Industrial Standard requirements. Group 1 demonstrated consistent strength, while Group 3 shows varying and diminishing strengths. 10% replacement of sand with periwinkle shells for Group 2 gave the highest compressive test results and is therefore the most suitable for load-bearing applications. These findings underscore the potential of periwinkle shell incorporation in enhancing sandcrete block performance while still meeting industry standards.