Author(s)

Charlène Bassolokidi Nkengue¹, Narcisse Malanda^1*, Gilbert Ganga¹, Paul Louzolo-Kimbembe¹, Guy Richard Mouengue²

¹National Higher Polytechnic School, Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Congo.
²Office of Control of Buildings and Public Works, Brazzaville, Congo.

The main objective of this study is to contribute to the optimization of the formulation of sand concretes and its valorisation according to natural sands from different quarries or extraction sites. Physical characteristics of natural sands have been determined and improved by the addition of crushing sand, taking into account the too fine elements of the sand. Four types of sand were used (Congo River, Djiri, Mfilou, crushed sand). The concrete formulations proposed from improved sands (30% crushed sand and 70% natural sand) reveal an increase in mechanical strength. Thus, it appeared that this improvement of the natural fine sands by the crushing sand has brought a clear increase in the maneuverability of the concretes and the physico-mechanical characteristics of nearly 50%, although this crushing sand has a sand equivalent value of less than 70%. These results augur well for the durability of structures in the construction industry in Congo.

Sand, Formulation, Recovery, Materials, Sand Concrete, Physico-Mechanical Characteristics, Construction

Nkengue, C. , Malanda, N. , Ganga, G. , Louzolo-Kimbembe, P. and Mouengue, G. (2019) Influence of Aggregate Grain Size on the Formulation of Sand Concrete in the Construction Industry in Congo. Geomaterials, 9, 81-96. doi: 10.4236/gm.2019.94007.