Effect of Saw Dust on Strength Properties of Concrete

Abstract

The present study focuses on the utilization of saw dust as a partial replacement material for fine aggregate in concrete production. For the experimental investigation, Ordinary Portland Cement (53 Grade) was used, and fine aggregate was replaced with saw dust at varying proportions of 0%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by weight. The influence of saw dust on the workability and compressive strength of concrete was examined. Slump test was conducted to determine workability, while compressive strength tests were carried out at 7 days and 28 days of curing. The results indicate that the inclusion of saw dust up to 10% replacement produces satisfactory strength comparable to conventional concrete. However, higher percentages resulted in reduced workability and strength due to the lightweight and fibrous nature of saw dust. Hence, saw dust can be effectively used as a sustainable alternative to sand in non-structural and lightweight concrete applications

Introduction

Concrete is traditionally composed of cement, water, fine aggregate, and coarse aggregate, with aggregates occupying up to 80% of its volume, making their quality crucial to concrete performance. Due to increasing environmental concerns over waste disposal—particularly agricultural and wood-based wastes—researchers have explored alternative sustainable materials. Sawdust, a timber-industry by-product with pozzolanic and filler properties, is one such material. Its use in concrete can reduce density, improve workability, conserve natural sand resources, and mitigate pollution linked to sawdust disposal.

The study investigates the effects of replacing a portion of cement with sawdust (0–25%) in M25 grade concrete. Various fresh and hardened properties are examined, including slump, compaction factor, compressive strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength, and modulus of elasticity. A total of 72 specimens were cast—cubes, cylinders, and prisms—and tested after 28 days of curing.

Material characterization was carried out for cement, sawdust, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate, and water. The sawdust used had low density, moderate moisture content, and a chemical composition rich in silica, alumina, and lignin, making it suitable as a concrete additive.

Six concrete mixes (M0–M5) were prepared using a constant water–cement ratio of 0.50. Increasing sawdust content improved workability: slump values rose from 70 mm (0% replacement) to 160 mm (25% replacement), and compaction factor values increased correspondingly.

Compressive strength results showed that mixes containing 5–20% sawdust achieved higher strengths than the control mix. However, at 25% replacement, strength decreased due to excess amorphous silica, which caused an imbalance with calcium hydroxide during cement hydration. Overall, the study indicates that moderate sawdust replacement can enhance performance and support sustainable concrete production, while excessive replacement leads to strength reduction.

Conclusion

From the present analysis, I’ve come to the following conclusion. Up to 20% of OPC can be replaced optimally with Saw Dust without any contrary effect on the desirable properties of concrete. 1) Partial replacement of cement by saw dust boosts workability of fresh concrete; therefore use of super plasticizer is not essential. 2) The results showed that the concrete with 10% Saw Dust replacement after 28 days of curing, showed maximum strength when compared to concrete with other percentage replacement mixes. 3) As the flexural tensile strength of Saw Dust concrete is more it can be used in slabs, beams etc., where higher flexural tensile strength is required. 4) In the economic point of view, the cement replaced by Saw Dust saves money. 5) Since saw dust is a by-product material, its use as a cement replacing material reduces the levels of wastage by the cement industry. In addition its use resolves the disposal problems associated with it and thus keeps the environment free from pollution.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Mukul Sharma, Subhankar Sharma, Vikram , Shashank Gupta, Mukesh Pandey, Farhan Ul Rahman. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.