Suitability of sustainable sand for concrete manufacturing - A complete review of recycled and desert sand substitution

Workable, environmentally friendly, sustainable sand concrete was reviewed to replace river sand for concrete production. The river ecology and the biological balance will be preserved with the help of the carefully chosen sustainable sand. A systematic literature review (SLR) methodology was employed to extract the data. The study examined the strength and durability characteristics of recycled and desert sand concrete from past published studies. Experimental results from published investigations indicate that the strength of concrete prepared with 30 % sustainable sand is the best result compared to concrete with 100 % river sand. There was an acceptable decrease in strength and durability at 50 % replacement, and a significant reduction was reported at 100 %. Compared to river sand, recycled and desert sand concrete was less durable. In addition, based on the example used in this study, at 50 % replacement of river sand with sustainable sand, approximately 735 × 106 tons of river sand was preserved. Finally, it concludes that using recycled and desert sand to make sustainable sand concrete would be economical and beneficial for the environment. •Excessive river sand mining for construction causes an imbalance in the ecosystem.•Separate use of recycled and desert sand can be reduced (up to 50 %) river sand.•The combined use of recycled and desert sand replaces 100 % river sand.•This study recommended more studies on combining recycled and desert sand.•The total replacement of river sand is also beneficial for river sand preservation.