Effect of quarry dust particle sizes on the mechanical and microstructural properties of concrete

Abstract

Natural river sand is becoming scarce and harmful to the environment due to excessive mining and consumption in the built environment. Quarry dust is obtained from crushing stones and is often treated as waste, but it can be used to replace natural river sand in concrete. The research focuses on examining the effects of quarry dust particle sizes on the microstructural and mechanical properties of concrete. This study examines the effects of different quarry dust particle-size fractions obtained through sieve classification, with sieve sizes of 2.36 mm, 1.18 mm, 600 μm, 300 μm and 150 μm, on the mechanical and microstructural properties of concrete. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to study the microscopic properties of the specimens. Some preliminary tests were also carried out including extracting different particle sizes and specific gravity. This study also tested the strength of the concrete to see how well it performs at different curing times of 7days, 14days and 28days. The results show that quarry dust with a particle size of 600 μm produced the highest compressive strength and dry density, indicating better particle packing and improved bonding. Microstructural tests also confirmed the presence of hydration-related compounds and more compact internal structure in this sample. This study concludes that quarry dust is a sustainable alternative to natural river sand, and that its particle size significantly influences the strength and internal structure of concrete.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Scientific Reports, 2026 · DOI ↗