Physical and Mechanical Effects of Silica Sand in Cement Mortars: Experimental and Statistical Modeling.

The environmental impacts of cement manufacturing are becoming a real-time issue that requires attention. This paper investigates the mechanical and physical properties of mortars with finely ground sand as a substitute for cement. The experimental program consisted of three silica sands with a Blaine Specific Surface (BSS) area of 459 m/kg, 497 m/kg, and 543 m/kg and four substitution ratios of 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%.