Investigation on the Properties of Cement Mortar Containing Eggshell Powder as a Partial Replacement of Cement

Abstract

Mortar and concrete are the main ingredients of the construction industry. To produce mortar or concrete, cement is the building block. Cement is produced by using natural limestone. When limestone is burned for the production of the cement, carbon dioxide gas was liberated as a by-product which is recognised as a greenhouse gas and have harmful effects on the environment. To minimize the harmful effects and to reduce the consumption of natural materials, waste materials are incorporated in the production of mortar and concrete. In research eggshells in the powdered form which passed through the 90μm IS sieve has used as a partial replacement of cement for the production of cement mortar. Eggshells are rich in CaO and have chemical composition equivalent to that of natural limestone. Mix proportion of 1:3 is used for the production of the cement mortar. ESP is added in the proportions of 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5% and 10% by weight of cement. The effect of ESP on the compressive strength, flexural strength, split tensile strength, weight, bulk density, water absorption and sorptivity are find out. SEM/EDS analysis is done to understand the microstructural analysis to correlate the mechanical properties.