Assessment of Bentonite Clay as Sustainable Material for Concrete Production
Abstract
Due to the ongoing massive building projects as a result of urbanization and environmental development in Nigeria, the construction industry now has a very high demand for cement. The cost of executing construction projects nationwide is gradually becoming unbearable due to regular increase in cement price. It is imperative to find a material, a less expensive natural resources, that can be used in place of cement in concrete. The suitability and impact of using Nigeria’s bentonite clay for concrete production is the focus of this study. Ordinary Portland cement was partially substituted with bentonite clay in proportion of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% to form concrete. M15 grade of concrete was designed and tests were conducted on both fresh and hardened concrete of the various mix and their behaviours examined. The specimens were subjected to slump test and compressive strength test. The chemical composition, mineral composition, crystal structure of cement and bentonite were further investigated using X-ray florescence , X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy . Concrete with 10% bentonite achieved 17.78 MPa after 28 days compared to 19.78 MPa for control both surpassing the designed strength of 15MPa. Therefore 10% bentonite replacement can be used to produce less expensive concrete. This will decrease the pressure on the demand for cement, reduction in CO2 emission from cement production with lesser effect on global warming.
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