MITIGATING THE EFFECT OF CLAY CONTENT OF SAND

ON CONCRETE STRENGTH
L. M. Olanitori*, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria

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31st Conference on OUR WORLD IN CONCRETE & STRUCTURES: 16 17 August 2006, Singapore

MITIGATING THE EFFECT OF CLAY CONTENT OF SAND

ON CONCRETE STRENGTH
L. M. Olanitori*, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria

Abstract
In the present day construction industry in Nigeria, concrete has emerged as the
most common building material. Hence careful consideration must be given to
factors that affect its strength. For sand having above 3.4% of clay content used in a
1: 2: 4 mix of concrete, resulted in the production of concrete with compressive
strength less than 21N/mm2 (1) This work determines the amount of cement needed
for sand samples with varying amount of clay/silt content from 0% to 10%, to
produce concrete with compressive strength not less than 20N/mm2 for mix 1: 2: 4.
A sample of sand was sourced from a location in Akure metropolis of Ondo Sate.
The sand sample was divided into two parts. First part of the sand sample was
washed free of clay and slit and sun dried, while clay and silt were sieved out of the
second part using 0.150mm sieve. The washed sand sample was divided into 10
parts in such a manner that from each part, at least 10 cubes of 150 x 150 x 150 cm3
can be made.
The sieved clay/silt is added to each of the parts of the washed sand from1% to 10%
by weight of the sand. The amount of cement necessary to be added to each part of
sand with varying content of clay/silt from 1% to 10%, so as to achieve minimum
strength of 20N/mm2 for mix ratio 1:2:4 were determined. It was discovered that the
higher the clay/silt content, the higher the amount of cement needed to achieve the
20N/mm2 strength.
Keywords: Silt, Clay, Concrete, San, Cement

1.0.

Introduction
Concrete can be a strong durable building material that can be formed into many
varied shapes and sizes ranging from a simple rectangular column, to a slender curved dome
or shell, if the constituent materials are carefully selected. The constituent materials are:
cement, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate and water.
Concrete is a very variable material, having a wide range of strengths (2). Concrete
generally increases its strength with age. The precise relationship will depend upon the type
of cement used. (2). Some codes of practice allow the concrete strength used in design to be
varied according to the age of the concrete when it supports the design load. BS 8110 does

not permit the use of strength greater than 28 day value in calculations (3). It is important
that the aggregates for making concrete should be clean of all sorts of impurities (4).
Aggregates for concrete are usually specified to comply with requirements of BS 882,
which gives test for suitable aggregate (5).
The maximum percentage clay/silt of content of sand for which the compressive
concrete strength will not be less than 21N/mm2 is 3.4% (1). For sand with percentage
clay/silt contents of 5% and 6% will produce concrete with compressive strengths of
17.7N/mm2 and 16.3 N/mm2 respectively, and the higher the percentage of clay/silt in sand
the lower the concrete strength (1). It is very important to control the quality of the aggregate
to be used in concrete making. Most importantly, the effect of the clay/silt content of sand on
the compressive strength of concrete must be controlled.

2.0.

Materials And Methods

The materials used for this work are crushed granite rock, with maximum size of
20mm for coarse aggregate, and pit sand for fine aggregate, which is collected from a
location in Akure metropolis, portland cement and portable water.
The sand sample was divided into two parts. The first part was washed free of
clay/silt with water and sum dried on a clean platform. The second part of the sand sample
was sieved using 0.150mm sieve in order to sieve out the clay/silt contained in the sand
sample.
The washed sand sample was divided into ten parts in such a manner that from each
part, at least ten cubes of 150 x 150 x 150 cm can be made.
The sieved clay/silt is added to each of the parts of the washed sand samples form
1% to 10% by weight of the sand.
The resultant samples of mixture of washed sand and clay/silt were labeled samples
1 to 10. Sample 1, contained 1% clay/silt, sample 2 contained 2% of clay/silt and so on.
From samples 1 to 10, ten concrete cubes of 150 x 150 x 150 cm3 were casted from
each samples. The mix ratio for the concrete was 1: 2: 4. The concrete cubes were cured by
immersion in water in the curing tank. After 28 days, the concrete cubes were crushed using
Universal Testing Machine which was manually operated.
From each samples (i.e. samples 1 to 10), between fifty to one hundred twenty 150 x
150 x 150 cm3 concrete cubes were casted depending at what percentage cement increment
is required to achieve the 20N/mm2 compressive strength, and at what percentage interval
this percentage cement increment is added.The concrete cubes were casted with varying
increment cement percentages up to 52%.
The concrete cubes were curved by immersion water. After 28 days, the concrete
cubes were crushed using Universal Testing Maching.
The procedure used in carrying out the tests conformed to that of British Standard
1881, parts 108 and 116 (6, 7).

3.0.

Results And Discussion

Table 1 shows the results of the average compressive strength tests for sample AA
and samples 1-10 with varying clay/silt content from 0% to 10%.
Tables 2 8 show the results of the average compressive strength tests for samples
4 10.
Table 9 shows the percentage clay/silt content of sand and the corresponding
percentage increment so that the compressive strength is not less than 20N/mm2.
From Table 9, it can be seen that for 4% clay/silt content, 4% cement increment is
needed such that the compressive strength of the concrete is not less than 20N/mm2. also
from table 9, with 5%m 6%, 7%, 8%, 9% and 10% clay/silt content in sand, 14%, 20%, 24%,
32$, 40% and 50% cement increment is needed respectively so that the compressive
strength concrete is not less 20N/mm2.

4.0.

Conclusion And Recommendation

From the discussion of results, it can be seen that the higher the percentage of
clay/silt content in sand, the higher the percentage increment of cement needed for the
compressive strength of the concrete not to be less than 20N/mm2 which is the value
generally used in Nigeria for mix ratio 1: 2: 4 at 28 days.
It is recommended that comparative cost analysis should be carried out between %
increment of cement for sand with particular percentage clay/silt content so as to maintain
20N/mm2 compressive strength, and the cost of washing the sand free of clay/silt, so as to
determine which one out of the two is cost effective.

5.0.

References
1. Olanitori, L.M. & Olotuah, A.O. (2005): The Effect of Clayey Impurities In Sand On the
Crushing Strength of Concrete (A Case Study of Sand In Akure Metropolis, Ondo State,
Nigeria), 30th Conference On Our World In Concrete & Structures: 23-24 August 2005,
Singapore, PP 373 376.
2. Mosley W.H. Bungey J. H. & Hulse R. (1999): Reinforced Concrete Design, 5th Edition,
Palgrave Press.
3. British Standard 8110: Part I (1985)
4. Fullerton R.L. (1979): Building Construction in Warm Climates, 2nd Edition. Oxford
University Press.
5. British Standard 882 (1992): Specification for Aggregates from natural Sources for
Concrete.
6. British Standard 1881: Part 108 (1983)
7. British Standard 1881: Part 116 (1983)

Table 1: The results of the Average Compressive Strength Tests for samples AA and
samples 1 to 10.
Samples

Average wt (kg)

AA
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

8.4
8.5
8.5
8.4
8.2
8.0
8.3
8.3
8.4
8.4
8.3

Percentage Clay/Silt
Content (%)
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Average Compressive
Strength (N/mm2)
2.55
22.54
21.76
21.07
19.22
17.45
16.35
15.72
12.08
10.81
10.25

Table 2: The results of the Average Compressive Strength Tests for samples
4, with varying increment cement percentage.
Samples
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

Average wt (kg)
8.2
8.2
8.4
8.5
8.3

Percentage
Clay/Silt Content
(%)
4
4
4
4
4

Cement
Increment (%)
2
4
6
8
10

Average
Compressive
Strength (N/mm2)
19.68
20.14
20.58
21.05
21.50

Table 3: The results of the Average Compressive Strength Tests for samples
5, with varying increment cement percentage.
Samples
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.

Average wt (kg)
8.4
8.4
8.3
8.5
8.2
8.2
8.2

Percentage
Clay/Silt Content
(%)
5
5
5
5
5
5
5

Cement
Increment (%)
2
4
6
8
10
12
14

Average
Compressive
Strength (N/mm2)
17.87
18.29
18.69
19.11
19.52
19.95
20.36

Table 4: The results of the Average Compressive Strength Tests for samples
6, with varying increment cement percentage from 2% to 10%
Samples
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.

Average wt (kg)
8.0
8.2
8.4
8.4
8.5
8.3
8.3
8.3
8.3
8.3

Percentage
Clay/Silt Content
(%)
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6

Cement
Increment (%)
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20

Average
Compressive
Strength (N/mm2)
16.74
17.13
17.51
17.90
18.30
18.69
19.08
19.46
19.85
20.24

Table 5: The results of the Average Compressive Strength Tests for samples 7, with varying
increment cement percentage.
Average
Percentage
Cement
Compressive
Samples
Average wt (kg)
Clay/Silt Content
Increment (%)
Strength (N/mm2)
(%)
A.
8.5
7
4
16.47
B.
8.5
7
8
17.21
C.
8.3
7
12
17.97
D.
8.3
7
16
18.71
E.
8.4
7
20
19.46
F.
8.2
7
24
20.03

Table 6: The results of the Average Compressive Strength Tests for samples 8, with varying
increment cement percentage.
Average
Percentage
Cement
Compressive
Samples
Average wt (kg)
Clay/Silt Content
Increment (%)
Strength (N/mm2)
(%)
A.
8.4
8
4
12.66
B.
8.4
8
8
13.58
C.
8.4
8
12
14.58
D.
8.2
8
16
15.78
E.
8.2
8
20
17.28
F.
8.3
8
24
18.58
G.
8.3
8
28
19.35
H.
8.3
8
32
20.11

Table 7: The results of the Average Compressive Strength Tests for samples 9, with varying
increment cement percentage.
Percentage
Average
Cement
Samples
Average wt (kg)
Clay/Silt Content
Compressive
Increment (%)
(%)
Strength (N/mm2)
A.
8.2
9
4
11.84
B.
8.3
9
8
12.68
C.
8.2
9
12
13.48
D.
8.5
9
16
14.33
E.
8.4
9
20
15.20
F.
8.4
9
24
16.05
G.
8.3
9
28
16.95
H.
8.3
9
32
17.81
I.
8.3
9
36
18.71
J.
8.3
9
40
20.14

Table 8: The results of the Average Compressive Strength Tests for samples 9, with varying
increment cement percentage.
Percentage
Average
Cement
Samples
Average wt (kg)
Clay/Silt Content
Compressive
Increment (%)
(%)
Strength (N/mm2)
A.
8.1
10
4
11.22
B.
8.2
10
8
12.02
C.
8.4
10
12
12.78
D.
8.2
10
16
13.63
E.
8.2
10
20
14.45
F.
8.5
10
24
15.25
G.
8.5
10
28
16.03
H.
8.4
10
32
16.79
I.
8.5
10
36
17.61
J.
8.4
10
40
18.41
K.
8.3
10
44
19.26
L.
8.3
10
48
19.96
M.
8.3
10
52
20.86

Table 9: Percentage clay/silt content in sand and corresponding percentage

increment of cement so that compressive stress is not less than 20N/mm2.
% Clay/Silt Content in
sand
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

% increment of Cement
4
14
20
24
32
40
50