Durability Studies on Concrete Containing Treated Used Foundry Sand

•Silica in the sand is enriched by treating and called as TUFS.•Water absorption and permeability characteristics of TUFS concrete are investigated.•Effect of TUFS concrete on exposure to various environments.•Optimum TUFS content is found to be 30% by weight. Use of waste products from foundry industry in concrete not only makes it economical, but also helps in reducing disposal problems and environmental degradation. The waste materials required for the replacement of fine aggregate are processed to the required specifications that could match with the properties of fine aggregate to be used in concrete. Such type of industrial waste by-product namely waste foundry sand was treated and used as partial replacement material for fine aggregate in concrete. Experiments were conducted to study the durability characteristics of Treated Used Foundry Sand (TUFS) as partial replacement for fine aggregate. Fine aggregate was replaced with various percentages of TUFS by weight. Tests were conducted for water absorption, sorptivity and Rapid Chloride Permeability. Further these concrete specimens were exposed to chemical solutions and marine environment for 7, 28, 56 and 90 days. After the exposure period, these specimens were tested for loss in weight and compressive strength. Test results indicated better performance of concrete with TUFS than control specimen and established that concrete with 30% TUFS is more impermeable than control concrete with better durability properties also proved that TUFS can be effectively used in making good quality concrete.