ARID ZONE JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT
AZOJETE, September 2019. Vol. 15(3) 611-618

Published by the Faculty of Engineering, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
Print ISSN: 1596-2490, Electronic ISSN: 2545-5818

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611

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

IMPACT OF DIFFERENT FINE AGGREGATES ON THE COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF
HOLLOW SANDCRETE BLOCKS

S. O. Odeyemi1*, R. Abdulwahab1, M. A. Anifowose2 and R. J. Ibrahim1

(1Department of Civil Engineering, Kwara State University, Malete, Nigeria.
2Department of Civil Engineering, Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Nigeria.)

* Corresponding author’s email address: samson.odeyemi@kwasu.edu.ng

ARTICLE INFORMATION

Submitted 13 September, 2018
Revised 3 March, 2019
Accepted 10 March, 2019

Keywords:
Fine Aggregates
Sandcrete Block
Water Absorption
Compressive Strength

ABSTRACT
Sandcrete blocks are walling materials that are made of fine aggregates
and cement. Though, sandcrete blocks are being used as building
materials in many parts of Nigeria, it has been discovered that many of
the blocks produced do not conform to the minimum compressive
strength requirement for such blocks. This study, therefore, examined
the effect of using four (4) different fine aggregates (quarry dust, river
sand, shocking sand and plastering sand) with binder to aggregate mix
ratios of 1:6 and 1:4 on the compressive strength of sandcrete blocks.
Specific gravity and particle size distribution analyses were conducted
on the fine aggregates to determine their properties while water
absorption capacity and compressive strength tests were carried out on
the hollow sandcrete blocks. Five samples from each aggregate of size
450 mm x 225 mm x 225 mm were moulded and subjected to
compressive strength tests. The water absorption capacity results
revealed that shocking sand has the highest capacity to absorb water
with a value of 8.69 %. River sand, with a value of 6.67 % has the lowest
water absorption capacity. The 28th day compressive strength test
results of 1.31 N/mm2, 1.10 N/mm2, 0.78 N/mm2 and 0.50 N/mm2 for
the sandcrete blocks produced from quarry dust, river sand, shocking
sand and plastering sand respectively, with mix ratio 1:6, did not meet
the minimum requirement of 2.5 N/mm2 specified by NIS 87:2007 for
non-load bearing walls. However, with mix ratio of 1:4, the compressive
strength of 2.52 N/mm2 and 2.50 N/mm2 for sandcrete blocks made
with quarry dust and river sand respectively met this minimum
requirement. It was concluded that only quarry dust and sharp sand at
mix ratio 1:4 are suitable in the production of sandcrete blocks.

© 2019 Faculty of Engineering, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria. All rights reserved.

1.0 Introduction
Sandcrete blocks are composite walling materials moulded into different shapes and sizes that
are composed of fine aggregate in addition with cement and water (NIS 87:2004, 2004). Ewa and
Ukpata (2013) and Oyekan and Kamiyo (2011) described sandcrete hollow blocks as the most
common masonry units in Nigeria. Nigeria Industrial standard (NIS 87:2000, 2000) reported that
sandcrete blocks are formed either in solid or hollow rectangular shape. They are commonly
found in 450 mm by 225 mm by 225 mm size for load bearing walls and 450 mm by 150 mm by
225 mm size for non-load bearing walls. Material constituents, mix proportion, admixtures

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Odeyemi, et al: Impact of different fine aggregates on the compressive strength of hollow sandcrete blocks. AZOJETE,
15(3):611-618. ISSN 1596-2490; e-ISSN 2545-5818, www.azojete.com.ng

Corresponding author’s e-mail address: samson.odeyemi@kwasu.edu.ng 612

presence, method of compaction and age of curing are significant factors that determine the
mechanical properties of sandcrete blocks (Oyetola and Abdullahi, 2006; Anosike and Oyebade,
2012).

The high cost of materials used in the production of sandcrete blocks has contributed to an
increase in the cost of building construction. Nair et al. (2006) posit that conventional building
materials are beyond the reach of most of the world populace due to their poor affordability.
However, the need for alternative materials for construction is very desirable for socio-economic
development and materials that can complement cement at a cheaper rate will be of interest.
Though, sandcrete blocks are being used as building materials in many parts of Nigeria, it has
been shown (Odeyemi et al., 2018) that many of the blocks produced do not conform with the
minimum standard requirement for compressive strength value of 2.5 N/mm2 and 3.45 N/mm2
for non-load resisting wall and load resisting walls respectively as well as maximum specified 12
% water absorption recommended by Nigeria Industrial standard (NIS 87:2000, 2000).
The rate of building collapse in Nigeria building and development industry has been on the rise
due to the use of substandard materials (Odeyemi et al., 2015). The durability of blocks depends
on its quality, which in turn is greatly dependent on methods of production and properties of its
constituents (Abdulwahab and Akinleye, 2016). Therefore, this study was aimed at investigating
the degree to which different fine aggregates influence the compressive strengths of sandcrete
blocks.

2. Materials and Methods
2.1 Materials
Dangote cement brands 42.5R, which conforms to NIS 444-1:2003 (2003), clean water, fine
aggregates (river sand, quarry dust, plastering sand, and shocking sand) were used to produce
the sandcrete block specimens. The river sand, quarry dust, plastering sand, and shocking sand
were purchased from Danzaria Block factory, Ilorin in Kwara State, Nigeria.

2.2 Methods
Particle size distribution of the fine aggregates (quarry dust, river sand, shocking sand and
plastering sand) was conducted in accordance with BS 812-103.1:1985 (1989). The percentage of
the particles passing from the sieves was plotted against the particle diameters. From the graphs,
the values of D60 and D10 were obtained. Equation (1) was adopted in calculating the Uniformity
coefficient (Cu).

Cu =
D60
D10

(1)
where: Cu is the Uniformity coefficient, D60 is the diameter of particle corresponding to 60% finer
on the cumulative particle-size distribution curve and D10 is the diameter of particle
corresponding to 10% finer on the cumulative particle-size distribution curve. If coefficient of
uniformity (Cu) of soil < 4.0 then the soil is uniformly graded but if Cu > 4.0 then soil is could be
well graded, or gap graded (Bowles, 1996; Neville, 2011; Shetty, 2008).
Specific gravity test was carried out on the aggregates in accordance with BS 1377-2 and ACI
Education Bulletin. Equation (2) was used to calculate the specific gravity for each of the
aggregates.

sg = W2−W1
W4−W1 − W3−W2

(2)

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Arid Zone Journal of Engineering, Technology and Environment, September, 2019; Vol. 15(3):611-618. ISSN 1596-2490;
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Corresponding author’s e-mail address: samson.odeyemi@kwasu.edu.ng

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where: sg is the specific gravity, W1 is the weight of empty bottle, W2 is the weight of aggregate
and bottle, W3 is the weight of aggregate, bottle and distilled water, W4 is the weight of bottle
and distilled water.
The materials for the blocks were mixed manually using a shovel but vibrated mechanically using
a sandcrete block moulding machine. A mix ratio of 1:6 (one portion of cement to six portions of
sand) and 1:4 (one portion of cement to four portions of sand) was adopted respectively with
water to cement ratio of 0.45, as specified by (NIS 87:2000, 2000), for manufacturing of
sandcrete blocks in Nigeria and batching was done by weight.
Water absorption of a material is the ratio of the decrease in mass of that material to mass of its
dry sample. It impacts on the bond between cement mortar and aggregates, the resistance of
concrete to thawing and freezing, chemical stability and specific gravity (Anosike and Oyebade,
2012). The water absorption test carried out on the aggregates was done in accordance with
(NIS 87:2000, 2000). In determining the water absorption for the aggregates, the samples were
cleansed, drained and placed in a wire basket before immersing in distilled water for 24 hours at
a temperature of 25°C. When removed from the water, the aggregates were air dried, weighed
and designated as ‘A’. Afterwards, the aggregates were placed in an oven for 24 hours at a
temperature of 105 °C. When removed from the oven, it was cooled, weighed and designated as
‘B’. The water absorption was calculated from Equation 3.

Water Absorption (%) = A−B
B
× 100 (3)

The sandcrete blocks were cured for 7 and 28 days by immersion in water and taken in batches
for compressive strength determination at age 7 and 28 days respectively. Five blocks per case
of observation were crushed at each maturing age and their crushing loads were recorded. The
compressive strength test conducted on the sandcrete blocks was done in accordance with
Nigeria Industrial standard (NIS 87:2000, 2000). A manual compression testing machine with a
maximum load capacity of 1,560 kN from the Concrete Laboratory of the Department of Civil
Engineering, University of Ilorin, Nigeria, was utilized for this test. The compressive strength of
the sandcrete blocks in N/mm2 was obtained by dividing the recorded crushing loads by the
effective area of the blocks. The average compressive strengths for blocks produced from the
four (4) aggregates considered were plotted at 7 and 28 days of curing.
A T-test statistical analysis was carried out to determine if there is a significant difference
between the mean strength of the aggregates. A test of independence of the responses gotten
was carried out using the following statement hypothesis:
H0: The average compressive strengths are not significantly different from 2.5 N/mm2
H1: The average compressive strengths are significantly different from 2.5 N/mm2
Significance level α: 0.05. The Decision Rule is ‘Reject the Null Hypothesis H0 if the P-value is less
than the significance (0.05).’

3. Results and Discussion
3.1 Sieve Analysis Test
The results of the sieve analysis carried out on the four (4) types of aggregates are shown in
Figures 1-4, while the corresponding coefficient of uniformity are shown in Table 1. The particle
sizes of all the fine aggregates shown in Figures 1-4 were between 1 mm and 0.10 mm which
means they fell within the category of medium sand and fine sand (Neville, 2011). From Table 1,

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Odeyemi, et al: Impact of different fine aggregates on the compressive strength of hollow sandcrete blocks. AZOJETE,
15(3):611-618. ISSN 1596-2490; e-ISSN 2545-5818, www.azojete.com.ng

Corresponding author’s e-mail address: samson.odeyemi@kwasu.edu.ng 614

all the aggregates have their values of Cu lower than 4.0. Thus, they are all classified as being
uniformly graded (Bowles, 1996; Neville, 2011; Shetty, 2008).

Figure 1: Particle Size Distribution of Quarry Dust

Figure 2: Particle Size Distribution of River Sand

Figure 3: Particle Size Distribution of Shocking Sand

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Arid Zone Journal of Engineering, Technology and Environment, September, 2019; Vol. 15(3):611-618. ISSN 1596-2490;
e-ISSN 2545-5818; www.azojete.com.ng

Corresponding author’s e-mail address: samson.odeyemi@kwasu.edu.ng

615

Figure 4: Particle Size Distribution of Plastering Sand

Table 1: Uniformity Coefficients for the samples
S/No Soil sample Uniformity Coefficient Remark
1 Quarry Dust 1.5 Uniformly Graded
2 River Sand 2.5 Uniformly Graded
3 Shocking Sand 3.3 Uniformly Graded
4 Plastering Sand 3.3 Uniformly Graded

3.2 Specific Gravity Test
The specific gravity of the fine aggregates (quarry dust, river sand, shocking sand and plastering
sand) used in this study are shown in Table 2. Specific gravity for aggregates, specified by (ACI
Education Bulletin, 2007), ranged from 2.30 to 2.90. The results of the specific gravity of the
quarry dust, river sand and shocking sand in Table 2 are within the acceptable limits for
aggregates, while that of plastering sand is below the limit specified by the Standards. Thus,
quarry dust, river sand and shocking sand can be considered as suitable aggregates for
sandcrete block production based on their specific gravity.

Table 2: Specific Gravity of Fine Aggregates
Fine Aggregates Specific Gravity
Quarry Dust 2.36
River Sand 2.61
Shocking Sand 2.39
Plastering Sand 2.29

3.3 Water Absorption Capacity Test
The result of the water absorption test carried out on the four (4) aggregates used in this study
are shown in Figure 5. The water absorption rate result reveals that shocking sand has the
highest capacity to absorb water with a value of 8.69 %. However, river sand, with a value of 6.67
%, has the lowest water absorption capacity. This implies that blocks made from shocking sand

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Odeyemi, et al: Impact of different fine aggregates on the compressive strength of hollow sandcrete blocks. AZOJETE,
15(3):611-618. ISSN 1596-2490; e-ISSN 2545-5818, www.azojete.com.ng

Corresponding author’s e-mail address: samson.odeyemi@kwasu.edu.ng 616

has a tendency of getting soaked earlier than blocks made from the other fine aggregates
considered in the study.

Figure 5: Water absorption Capacity for the fine aggregates

3.4 Compressive Strength Test
The compressive test results obtained for the sandcrete blocks produced with the four (4)
aggregates considered in this study are shown in Figures 6 and 7 respectively.

Figure 6: Average Compressive Strength for Mix
Ratio 1:6

Figure 7: Average Compressive Strength for Mix
Ratio 1:4

The results of the average compressive strength of sandcrete blocks with a mix ratio of 1:6 at
28th days of curing show that sandcrete blocks produced from quarry dust have the highest
strength of 1.31 N/mm2 followed by that of river sand (1.10 N/mm2), shocking sand (0.50
N/mm2) and plaster sand (0.78 N/mm2). None of the strengths met the requirement of 2.5
N/mm2 specified by Nigeria Industrial standard (NIS 87:2000, 2000). However, for mix ratio 1:4,
the results showed that the compressive strength of sandcrete blocks made from quarry dust
and river sand at 28 days met the requirement specified by Nigeria Industrial standard (NIS
87:2000, 2000) of 2.5 N/mm2 for non-load bearing wall.
A T-Test statistical analysis was carried out on the results obtained for all the soil samples for
both mix ratios 1:6 and 1:4 and the results are shown in Tables 3 and 4.

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Arid Zone Journal of Engineering, Technology and Environment, September, 2019; Vol. 15(3):611-618. ISSN 1596-2490;
e-ISSN 2545-5818; www.azojete.com.ng

Corresponding author’s e-mail address: samson.odeyemi@kwasu.edu.ng

617

Table 3: T-Test for Average Compressive Strength of Sandcrete Blocks Produced with Mix ratio 1:6

Average Compressive Strength of
Sandcrete Blocks Produce with 1:6 t Degree of freedom P-value

Quarry/stone dust -11.303 5 .000
River sand -20.431 5 .000
Plastering sand -30.021 5 .000
Shocking sand -29.336 5 .000

Table 4: T-Test for Average Compressive Strength of Sandcrete Blocks Produced with Mix ratio 1:4

Average Compressive Strength of
Sandcrete Blocks Produce with 1:4 t Degree of freedom P-value

Quarry/stone dust .351 3 .749
River sand -.030 3 .978
Plastering sand -14.189 3 .001
Shocking sand -5.262 3 .013

From Table 3, the P-values (0.000) for the sandcrete blocks produced from the 4 soil samples
with mix ratio 1:6 are less than the significance value (0.05). Thus, it is concluded that the
average compressive strength of the sandcrete blocks are significantly different from 2.5 N/mm2.
From Table 4, the P-values for the sandcrete blocks produced with plastering and shocking sand
(0.01 and 0.013) are less than significance value of 0.05, and the P-values for the sandcrete
blocks produced with quarry dust and river sand (0.749 and 0.978) are greater than significance
value of 0.05. Thus, it is concluded that the average compressive strength is not significantly
different from 2.5 N/mm2 for sandcrete blocks produced from quarry dust and river sand with
mix ratio 1:4.

4. Conclusion
The following conclusion can be drawn from the study:
The compressive strength of hollow sandcrete blocks is dependent on the type of fine aggregate
and mix ratios used in its production.
The coefficient of uniformity of the fine aggregates from particle size distribution shows that all
the soils are uniformly graded.
Shocking sand has the highest capacity to absorb water with a value of 8.69 %. However, river
sand, with a value of 6.67 %, has the lowest water absorption capacity.
The 28th day compressive strength results of sandcrete blocks produced with mix ratio 1:6 does
not meet the required strength of 2.5 N/mm2 for sandcrete blocks. However, with mix ratio 1:4
sandcrete blocks produced with quarry dust and river sand met this requirement.
It is recommended that only quarry dust and Sharp sand with mix ratios 1:4 are suitable for
sandcrete block production.

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Odeyemi, et al: Impact of different fine aggregates on the compressive strength of hollow sandcrete blocks. AZOJETE,
15(3):611-618. ISSN 1596-2490; e-ISSN 2545-5818, www.azojete.com.ng

Corresponding author’s e-mail address: samson.odeyemi@kwasu.edu.ng 618

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