Experimental investigation on strength characteristics of an RCC beam using silica sand

Due to over exploitation of natural sand for the building industry, the use of substitute for fine aggregates such as silica sand is a natural step in resolving the partial reduction of natural aggregates. Research into the diversity of concrete structures dates back to the first half of the century. Concrete made by using silica sand as fine aggregate has been studied to determine the compression and Flexural strength. Therefore, in this research, silica sand was used to replace conventional fine aggregate with a different percentage for making M20 concrete with a water cement ratio of 0.40. Percentage replacements are 25%, 50%, 100% by natural fine aggregates. Cubes and beams are casted and tested for compressive and flexural strength. According to the obtained experimental results, it is proven that silica sand is one of the best ways to integrate nature and can be used in concrete to obtain high compression strength and flexibility.