AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN USING NATURAL ADMIXTURES AS AN ALTERNATIVE

FOR CHEMICAL ADMIXTURES IN CONCRETE

UNDER THE ESTEEMED GUIDANCE OF

Mr. CH. SAI KIRAN, M. Tech (PhD)
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Submitted by
K. DEVI 21NT5A0125
B. CHANDU 21NT5A0105
D. DINAKARAN 21NT5A0113
K. TULASI 21NT5A0123
M. DEMUDU 21NT5A0173
S. JAYANTH 21NT5A0177

Department of Civil Engineering

Visakha Institute of Engineering and Technology
 ABSTRACT
The use of chemical admixtures in concrete is a common practice in modern construction. The admixtures
can improve some important properties of concrete, and different kinds of admixtures are in use
worldwide. In the current investigation a comparative experimental study has been performed on using
Jaggery and Aloe Vera extracts as a natural admixtures and chemical admixtures for concrete. Increasing
of workability and reduction in water absorption were observed due to the addition of natural admixtures
to concrete. the main function for usage of aloe vera and Jaggery is to extend the initial setting time of
concrete. Usually, these types of admixtures used in the special cases like large piers and long piles. Three
different percentages of admixtures (aloe vera and Jaggery) are chosen in the experimentation as
0% ,0.5%,1% ,1.5%,2% by weight of cement. Finally, it was concluded that workability and
compressive strength of concrete enhanced when admixtures like aloe vera and Jaggery added into the
concrete composition.

CHAPTER 1
INTRUDUCTION

1.1 GENERAL
Admixture is substances introduced into concrete mixes to alter or improve properties of fresh
and/or hardened concrete. The admixture is generally added in a relatively small quantity ranging
from 0.005% to 2% by weight of cement. According to the ASTM C- 494 standard, admixture is
a material other than water, aggregates, and hydraulic cement that is used as an ingredient of
concrete or mortar, and is added to the batch immediately before or during mixing. The
widespread use of admixture is due to the many benefits made possible by their application. The
usage of chemical admixtures in concrete is a common practice in modern construction, and the
addition is to reduce water demand or improve concrete properties. Although the use of chemical
admixtures provides better concrete properties, they are responsible for environmental pollution.
The admixture can lead to pollution of the environment by production, transport, storage, or
handling, uses in concrete, service life of concrete structure, recycling of concrete from
demolition, and disposal of building waste and residues. Overuse of admixtures has detrimental
effects on the properties of concrete. While the impact of chemical admixture on the environment
can occur when chemical admixtures are exposed to the environment or when dumping concrete
granulate containing admixtures after the demolition of a structure or when concrete granulate is
used as gravel replacement in construction and as the concrete admixtures are very readily
soluble in water, hence create an environmental problem due to leaching besides the
environmental pollution, some of the chemical admixtures are

1.2 AGGREGATES
Aggregates are the inert materials that are mixed in fixed proportions with a binding material to
produce concrete these acts as fillers or volume increasing components on the hand and are
responsible for strength, hardness and durability of the concrete on other hand. Most important
constituents of the concrete which occupy 70 to 80% of the total volume of concrete. They give
body to the concrete, reduce shrinkage and effect economy, one of the most important factors for
producing workable concrete is good gradation of aggregates. Good grading implies that a
sample fractions of aggregates in required proportion such that sample contains minimum voids.
So, we can say that one should know definitely about the aggregates in depth to study more
about concrete. Aggregates in concrete prove to be a valuable building material in technical,
environment and economical respect. Aggregates can be classified in many ways. But,
classification of aggregates based on shape and size are as follows.
Coarse Aggregates
Fine Aggregates

1.2.1 COARSE AGGREGATES

When the Aggregates is sieved through 4.75mm sieve, the aggregate retained on the sieve is
called coarse aggregates. It is well recognized that coarse aggregates play an important role in
concrete, we have gravel, cobble and boulders come under this category. The maximum size
aggregate used may be Depend upon some conditions Coarse Aggregates typically occupies over
one-third occupy of volume of concrete Coarse aggregates occupy 70 to 80% of the concrete. In
general, 40 mm size aggregate used for normal strength and 20 mm size is used for high strength
concrete. So, the aggregates have to be strong and enough strength to bear the loads. And, the
quantity of the concrete increases because of the presence of the coarse aggregates. To predict
the behavior of concrete under general loading requires an understanding of the effects of
aggregate type, aggregates size, and aggregates content. The size ranges of various coarse
aggregates are given below. so, depending upon the type of construction the size of the coarse
aggregates may be used according to the Indian standards codes.

Coarse Aggregates Size

Fine Gravel 4mm-8 mm
Medium gravel 8 mm-16 mm
Coarse gravel 16 mm-64 mm
Cobbles 64 mm-256 mm
Boulders >256 mm
1.2.2 FINE AGGREGATE
When the aggregate is sieved through 4.75 mm sieve, the aggregates passed through the sieve, it
is called fine aggregates. Natural sand is generally used as fine aggregates, sit and clay are also
comes under this category the soft deposit consisting of sand, sit and clay are termed as loam.
The main purpose of the fine aggregates to fill the voids in the coarse aggregates and to act as a
workability age, and also for economy as reflected by use of less cement, the fine aggregate
should have a rounded shape Fine aggregates content ally 35 to 45% by mass or volume of total
aggregates So depending upon the type of construction, the size of the fine aggregates may be
used according to the Indian standards codes.
Fine aggregates Size variation

Coarse sand 2.0 mm-0.5 mm

Medium sand 0.5 mm-0.25 mm

Fine sand 0.25 mm-0.06 mm

Silt 0.06 mm-0.002 mm

Clay < 0.002 mm

1.3 CEMENT
Cement, in general is the binding material used in building and civil engineering works. cements
are finely grounded powders that when mixed with water set to hard mass. Concrete is a mixture
of paste and aggregates, the paste composed of cement and water, coats the surface of coarse and
fine aggregates, through a chemical reaction called hydration, the paste hardens and gains
strength to form the rock like mass known as concrete, cement mainly consists of the following
ingredients.
•Lime (calcium oxide, Cao)
• Silica (silicon dioxide, Sio2)
•Alumina (Aluminum oxide, A1203)
•Iron oxide (Fe203)
•2 to 3% of Gypsum
1.3.1 TYPES OF CEMENT
There are different types of cement and depending on the usage in the construction field these
different types of cement are used:
• Rapid hardening cement
• Low heat cement
• White cement
• Portland pozzolana cement
• Hydrophobic cement
• High alumina cement etc.
• So, by using the above ingredients manufacturing of cement is done. Which is the main
material used for the construction purpose. It is always desirable to use the best cement in
constructions. Therefore, the properties of a cement must be investigated. Although desirable
cement properties may vary depending on the type of construction, generally a good cement
possesses the following properties:
• Provides strength to masonry
• Stiffens or hardens early
• Possesses good plasticity
• An excellent building material
• Easily workable
• Good moisture resistant

1.4 WATER
The water reacts with the cement, which bonds the other components together. When it is mixed
with dry composite, which produces a semi-liquid material that workers can shape into any form.
Water is needed to chemically react with the cement and to provide workability with the
concrete, when the water is added the concrete solidifies and hardens to rock-hard strength
through a chemical process called hydration The amount of water in the mix compared with the
amount of cement is called the water/cement ratio. The good quality of water should be used that
means potable water which is free from chemicals and organic materials.

1.5 BRICKS
Bricks are chosen because of their availability. The burn brick is available from brick
manufacturing area. Also, in brick-making, a large number of bricks are rejected due to
nonconformity with the required specifications. One such major nonconformity is the distorted
form of brick produced due to the uneven temperature control in the kiln. These rejected bricks
can also be a potential source of coarse aggregate. This project would not only make good use of
the waste material but would also help alleviate disposal problems.

1.6 Aloe vera

Aloe vera pulp was made into liquid form by using a Mixer grinder. Aloe vera liquid and super
plasticizer were added to gauged water. The liquid mixture was then added to the dry mixture
and mixed well till homogeneous consistent porous concrete mix was obtained. Mixture of Aloe
Vera Gel showed good results on the properties of concrete in both workability and compressive
strength at 2.5% addition to the water. workability of concrete up to 57% along with 10%
increment in compressive strength of concrete.

1.7 Jaggery
Jaggery increases efficiency, durability, and compression strength as your volume in the concrete
mix increases. After adding jaggery to the concrete the hydration process is reduced and
therefore the drying time of the concrete is increased. increases efficiency, durability, and
compression strength as your volume in the concrete mix increases. After adding jaggery to the
concrete the hydration process is reduced and therefore the drying time of the concrete is
increased.
1.8 OBJECTIVES OF THE WORK
• To study and test the properties of coarse aggregates, fine aggregates and cement.
• To study and test the properties of admixtures (aloe vera and jaggery) with concrete.
• To study different strength properties of M30 grade concrete that is mixed by adding of natural
admixtures like aloe vera and jaggery and chemical admixture. The obtained values are
compared.

1.9 SCOPE OF THE WORK

In this present study, an attempt is made by adding of natural admixture and chemical admixture.
The concrete specimens of M30 grade are casted by adding of natural admixture and chemical
admixture at different mix proportions i.e., 0% ,0.5%,1% ,1.5%,2%. After curing, the specimens
are tested for compressive strength and split tensile strength. The obtained results are compared
with conventional concrete mix to know the strength characteristics.
 CHAPTER II
LITRATURE REVIEW
S. Mani Raj et al. This project leads to the retired traditional concept of additional admixture
of concrete. Our project helps the construction industry towards the sustainable development.
Portland cement was first used in place of lime during the nineteenth century due to the easy use,
quick setting and compressive strength. In this study we utilized the ancient admixture such as
egg albumen, jaggery powder, egg shell & aloe vera. Concrete with natural admixtures provides
greater qualities such as stickiness, ease of applications, moisture resistance, natural antiseptic,
durability, low thermal conductivity, solar production. Traditional eco concrete not only
improves the strength but also proves its durability for centuries
Hersh F. Mahmood et al. There is a general belief that admixture can improve some
important properties of concrete, and different kinds of admixtures are in use worldwide. In the
current investigation, a comparative experimental study has been performed on using grape and
mulberry extracts as a natural admixture and chemical admixture for concrete. Increasing of
workability and reduction in water absorption were observed due to the addition of natural
admixtures to concrete. There was an enhancement of concrete compressive strength tested at 3,
7, and 28 days and the 28 days modulus of elasticity as a result of using different admixtures, but
reduction of splitting tensile strength was observed. In general, using the two natural admixtures
has a beneficial effect to improve both fresh and hardened properties of concrete and they have a
superiority on the chemical admixture with regard the cost and producing environmental-friendly
construction material.
Suhail Ahmed et al. In this research Aloe Vera Gel is used in concrete at the proportion of
0% ,0.5%,1% ,1.5%,2%,2.5% to analyze its promising effects on workability and compressive
strength of concrete. Mixture of Aloe Vera Gel showed good results on the properties of concrete
in both workability and compressive strength at 2.5% addition to the water. workability of
concrete up to 57% along with 10% increment in compressive strength of concrete.
R. Sathvika et al. studied about a new non-conventional concrete which should be with easily
available and accessible materials presented in this concrete system. A composite material is
made up of two or more constituent materials. The constituent materials differ in their physical
and chemical composition. Aloe Vera fibers are environmentally friendly and present important
attributes. This kind of waste has a greater chance of being utilized for different applications in
construction and building materials. This focused on the use of aloe Vera gel and its effect on the
compressive and workability of concrete
A.S. Shalini et al. Have studied the behavior of concrete by adding Aloe vera as a natural
admixture in it. They scrapped the pulp from aloe vera plant and extracted the gel by scooping it
by a spoon. Then they grinded it and made juice without any addition of water. This extracted
juice was then measure using a measuring jar in 0.5%, 0.7% and 1.0% of cement weight and kept
aside. They mixed the concrete in 3 batches with each concentration of aloe vera per batch. The
concrete mixture was tested for workability using a slump cone. This test was done for each
batch of varying proportion. The slump values for various mix ratios were noted. The main aim
of the slump test is to show how the different concentration of Aloe Vera juice alters the
workability of concrete. Thus, from the above analysis and results workability of concrete
increases with but as they increase the concentration of aloe vera gel, the compressive strength of
the concrete decreases which can be inferred from the graphical result analysis. It is observed
that at 0.5% proportion of aloe vera gel, we can see a high compressive strength of 34.63
N/mm2. at 28th day observation, but as the concentration of aloe vera juice increases there is a
slight and steady decrease in the compressive strength. This experiment with Aloe Vera juice in
the concrete is done to study that the natural ingredients can also be used to increase the
workability of the concrete They are ecofriendly and not harmful to the environment.
S. THIROUGNANAME & Dr. G. RAMAKRISHN have said that several additives and
admixtures are used to change the composition of concrete or to accelerate or retard its
hardening, curing, workability etc., Chemical and mineral admixtures commonly used in
production of concrete are too expensive and also polluting the environment. Sisal is a fiber
yielding plant whose botanical name is Agave Sisalana. It occupies sixth place among fiber
plants, representing 2% of the world’s production of plant fiber. A vast quantity of sisal leaf juice
(Extract) is generated during processing of sisal leaves for fiber production, which remain
unutilized. It has caused negative environmental impact from its disposal. Research programmers
already done to utilize the sisal leaf extract in medical industry, but not in the construction
industry so far, even though it is produced large in quantity. This study aims to use the extract of
Sisal leaf, as bio-admixtures in making concrete. The properties of concrete, namely workability,
compressive strength, split tensile strength and flexural strength for the three grades viz., M20,
M25 and M30 were determined in the presence of 0.50 to 2.0% of sisal leaf extract as admixture
in concrete. As the SLE percentage increases, workability increases in all the three concrete
grades M20, M25 and M30.Compressive strength (cube and cylinder) of SLE cement concretes
for all four percentage (0.50%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%) at 28 days, yields more strength than that of
reference concrete, for all grades of concrete M20, M25 and M30. It is due to presence of lignin,
cellulose and hemi cellulose that improves the binding properties.
V. Ganesan et al. has learned about exploratory investigations on strength of concrete by
somewhat supplant cement with sugarcane stick bagasse fiery debris. The examination program
incorporated the incomplete replacement of cement by bagasse powder by 10%, 15% and 20%
and found that expansion in compressive strength and flexural strength of RC concrete for 15 %
replacement of cement with bagasse slag.
R. Suryawanshi et al. Have studied on impact of sugar powder on Strength of cement. Sugar
powder content is taken in different proportions as 0, 0.05, 0.075, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2 % by weight
of cement. The cubes of various proportions have been casted and was water cured and testing is
improved the situation 3 days, 7 days and 28 days. The measure of sugar powder 0.1% of the
aggregate weight of cement gives expanded introductory and last setting time. The measure of
sugar powder 0.1% of the aggregate weight of cement gives enhanced outcomes in compressive
strength. The compressive strength of cement and concrete is expanded up to 15 - 20%.
Mani Raj et al. (2019) in their project lead to the retired traditional concept of additional
admixture of concrete. Their project helps the construction industry towards the sustainable
development. Portland cement was first used in place of lime during the nineteenth century due
to the easy use, quick setting and compressive strength. The rapid development of construction
industry led to huge utilization of cement, this leads to emission of greenhouse gas (CO2) into
environment and that causes the global warming. To reduce the emission of CO2, the
supplementary cementitious material was introduced and vast investigation is going on over
those materials. In the ancient times they had utilized the materials like egg, blood, animal fat,
cactus extract in the concrete as admixtures. Generally, the admixtures having specific
characteristics as accelerating, retarding, air entraining and water reducing abilities. In this study
we utilized the ancient admixture such as jaggery powder
A. V. Pavan Kumar et al. (2015) has perform about effect of Sugar, Jaggery and Sugar Cane
Ash on Properties of Concrete. The admixtures (sugar and jaggery) are incorporated into
concrete at the estimation levels of 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1% with 5.10,15, 20, 25% Ash is and cement
up to 15% to improve the distinctive properties of concrete. Collapse To slump was seen in both
the admixtures at a measurement of 0.1%. Workability increments when the measurement of
admixture was increased. Compressive strength of concrete improves when dose of mixture is
expanded