Effectiveness of Powdered Cow-Bones as Pozzolana in Concrete Production

Abstract

The effectiveness of powdered cow-bones as pozzolana on the compressive strength of concrete is evaluated in this study. The study is also an alternative to the high cost of concrete production due to the increasing cost of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), depletion of scarce natural resources and degradation of the environment through continuous calcination of cement manufacturing processes and most importantly utilization of cow bones, which is otherwise a waste material. Field survey was conducted to determine the availability of cow-bone followed by laboratory experimentation for the determination and analysis of the physical properties of powdered cow-bones as pozzolan and effect of these properties on the strength of concrete. The results obtained from the analysis indicated that powdered cow-bone is a pozzolanic material and contains all the oxides expected of a pozzolans. Powdered cow-bone was subsequently used as a partial replacement of OPC in concrete production at the levels of 0% (control), 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 percents to produce concrete cubes, which were cured for 7, 14 and 28 days; and crushed. These results revealed that the strength of concrete reduced as the percentage replacement of the OPC in the samples increased. The optimum level of replacement was found to be 10% with the associated and corresponding optimal concrete strength of 24.60 N/mm2. However, 20% replacement of OPC with powdered cow-bone gave a compressive strength of 18.22 N/mm2. Therefore, it can be concluded from this work that provided the replacement level of OPC with powdered cow-bone does not exceed 20% and the developed corresponding optimal compressive strength of between 24.60 and 18.22 N/mm2, then, such concrete is within the allowable structural Grade 20 concrete. The study revealed that about 3million tonnes of cow-bones can be converted into powdered cow-bone, which will be available for partial replacement of OPC in structural concrete production in the study area.