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Concrete properties containing fine aggregate marble powder

Article  in  KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering · February 2015

DOI: 10.1007/s12205-015-0327-y

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KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering (2015) 19(7):2208-2216 Structural Engineering
Copyright ⓒ2015 Korean Society of Civil Engineers
DOI 10.1007/s12205-015-0327-y pISSN 1226-7988, eISSN 1976-3808
www.springer.com/12205
TECHNICAL NOTE

Concrete Properties Containing Fine Aggregate Marble Powder

o
Kürsçat Esat Alyamaç* and Alp Bug ra Aydin**
Received June 18, 2014/Revised September 6, 2014/Accepted December 7, 2014/Published Online February 17, 2015

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Abstract

The rapid growth of the marble industry introduces concerns regarding the negative impact of marble quarrying on the
environment, because the cutting of marble creates sludge. The incorporation of marble sludge (powder) into concrete and cement-
based products would make significant environmental and economic contributions. This study aims to develop a concrete mixture
with maximum marble content that has strength properties comparable to that of the non-marble reference concrete (without marble
powder), as opposed to developing a marble powder concrete with maximum compressive strength. The main purpose is to replace
sand with marble powder in concrete because such a mixture will be environmentally friendly and economically feasible. The
concrete samples are produced by replacing sand with marble powder at 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% and 90% by volume. The
compressive strength values are determined after 7, 28 and 90 days with splitting tensile strength values at 28-th day including water
absorption and abrasion resistance values. A feasibility evaluation is performed using parameters such as fresh concrete, compressive
strength, sorptivity, abrasion resistance, and estimated cost. Based on the feasibility evaluation it is shown that using up to 40%
marble powder in concrete is suitable in accordance with the requirements.
Keywords: concrete, strength, marble powder, waste, durability, feasibility evaluation
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1. Introduction
Natural stones are quarried directly from the Earth’s crust and
processed for various purposes. They are classified into two
categories, namely, polished stones, including marble, granite,
travertine, and onyx, and unpolished stones, such as basalt,
schist, and tuff. Following extraction from the quarry, polished
ones are cut into desirable sizes in the factories and workshops.
These rocks are commercially referred to as marble, which is
first used thousands of years ago. In ancient times, marble was
mainly utilized as a building stone. However, with the progression
of civilization, marble began to be used for decorative purposes
and in artistic designs. Marble has retained its importance to the
present day. The world’s marble reserves are estimated to be in
excess of 15 billion cubic meters, and Turkey shares an estimated
marble reserve of approximately 5.2 billion cubic meters. Marble
is being processed in numerous factories and workshops in
almost 50 countries worldwide (Onargan et al., 2006; Çetin, 2003).
The extraction and processing of marble as blocks are among
the most important mining activities that are vital to the mining
economy of countries. However, the rapid growth of the marble
industry introduces concerns regarding the negative impact of
marble quarrying on the environment, because marble cutting
causes to sludge. Marble blocks are cut into blocks of different
size and thickness in factories or workshops. Water is used during
the cutting process to prevent the rock saw from overheating and
to prevent dust. This process results in the mixing of dust with
water, which forms marble sludge. The resulting waste material
is dumped into the environment, either in its initial form or
following dewatering in a treatment plant. Approximately 30-
40% of a quarried marble block becomes waste in the form of
sludge. Annually, approximately 2.500.000 tons of marble sludge
are generated as a by-product of marble production in Turkey
(Aydin, 2013). Processing plants cannot easily store the increasing
amounts of waste material. Thus, the re-evaluation of this waste
material will be environmentally and financially beneficial
(Alyamaç and I·nce, 2007).
Marble sludge can be converted into Marble Powder (MP) by
drying and applying a mechanical load. Marble powder has a
wide range of industrial uses, including the paper, dyeing and
plastic industries in addition to, animal forage production, and
the lime and steel production industries. However, marble powder
must be physically and chemically processed for use in these
industries, and the utilization of marble powder is not sufficient
to consume all waste material stocks. Concrete, on the other
hand, is an advantageous construction material, whose production
exceeds billions of cubic meters annually. The incorporation of
marble powder into concrete and cement-based products would
make significant environmental and economic contributions
(Uygunogo lu et al., 2012).

o
*Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Firat University, Elazi g 23119, Turkey (Corresponding Author, E-mail:
kealyamac@firat.edu.tr)
o
**Ph.D. Student, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Firat University, Elazi g 23119, Turkey (E-mail: baydin@firat.edu.tr)

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 Concrete Properties Containing Fine Aggregate Marble Powder

Self-compacting concrete is a common example of waste Table 1. Chemical Compositions and Physical Properties of Cement
material incorporation, such as marble powder, into concrete. Vicat time of setting
SiO2 Al2O3 Fe2O3 CaO MgO SO3 Cl-
Self-compacting concrete mainly differs from conventional concrete (min)
in its fine material and super-plasticizer content. Alyamaç and Initial Final
19.45 5.34 4.03 62.62 2.05 2.69 0.008
Ince (2009) demonstrated the feasibility marble powder usage as 185 260
filler in self-compacting concrete and designed a practical concrete
mixture to increase the use of marble powder in self-compacting
concrete. Furthermore, marble powder has become widely used
as filler in self-compacting concrete. Subsequently, marble powder
is used successfully to develop self-compacting concrete that
incorporates a rubber aggregate (Topçu and Bilir, 2009; Yung et
al., 2013). Strength is as important for the performance of concrete
durability. Many researchers have suggested that self-compacting
concrete containing marble powder is more durable than reference
concrete (Gesogo lu et al., 2012; Belaidi et al., 2012). Hameed et
al. (2012) reported that self-compacting concrete produced with Fig. 1. Grading Curves of Aggregates according to TS 706 EN
12620 (2003)
marble powder is the innovative concrete.
Marble powder is also used to increase the strength and
durability of construction materials, such as paving blocks with is used for all concrete mixtures. It is provided by the Çimentasç
improvements in the mechanical strength, freeze-thaw durability, Cement Factory in Elazi go , Turkey. The compressive strength
and abrasion resistance of the concrete. Gencel et al. (2012a) values are obtained after 3, 7, and 28 days as 25.8, 38.1, and 49.1
recommended the use of marble powder as a replacement for MPa, respectively. Its fineness according to a Blaine measurement
aggregate, whereas marble powder is used as a replacement for is approximately 3500 cm2/g, and its specific gravity was 3.03 g/
fine sand in conventional concrete (Demirel, 2010). The latter cm3. The chemical compositions and physical properties are
study is in good agreement with Gencel et al. (2012a), who showed given in Table 1.
that the marble powder improves the overall performance of
concrete. 2.2 Aggregate
A comprehensive literature review indicated that pozzolanic Natural river sand with a 4.0 mm maximum size is used as a
mineral admixtures are in use as a replacement for fine sand in fine aggregate, and natural rounded stone with a 16.0 mm
conventional concrete. Conversely, Siddique replaced fine sand maximum size as a coarse aggregate (TS 706 EN 12620, 2003).
with fly ash for small- and medium-scale uses (Siddique, 2003). The grading curves of the aggregates are shown in Fig. 1, and the
Siddique and Khatib determined that large amounts of fly ash physical properties of aggregates are given in Table 2.
can be used in concrete instead of fine sand (Siddique and
Khatib, 2010). 2.3 Marble Powder
The aggregate fraction in concrete is about 75% of its total The process of formation sent to landfill marble sludge is
volume and therefore it plays a vital role in the overall perfor- shown schematically in Fig. 2. The marble powder is obtained
mance of concrete. The use of waste materials as aggregate in the from a landfill located within the Elazi go (Turkey) organized
production of concrete provides both the recycling of the waste industrial zone, where it is stored in heaps (Fig. 3). The marble
materials and the production of economical green concrete powder is dried initially under the sun (Fig. 4) and later ground in
(Gencel et al., 2012b; Martinez-Barrera et al., 2013). the laboratory using a Los Angeles Abrasion Test rig. The
This study aims to develop a concrete mixture with maximum duration of drying and grinding depend on the initial size of the
marble content that has strength properties comparable to that of material. All ground material is sieved through a 0.125 mm mesh
the non-marble reference concrete (without marble powder), as in order to physically transform the marble sludge into marble
opposed to developing a marble powder incorporating concrete powder. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of the
with highest compressive strength. Hence, this study intended to
replace sand with marble powder in concrete because incorpo-
rating higher amounts of waste marble powder into concrete is Table 2. Physical Properties of Aggregates
environmentally friendly and economically feasible. Properties
Coarse Fine
(4-16 mm) (0-4 mm)
2. Materials Specific gravity 2.69 2.72
Freeze-thaw (%) 9 -
2.1 Cement Abrasion (%) 13 -
Water absorptions (%) 1.8 2.3
In this study, CEM I 42.5 N Portland Cement (PC) that
Fine material (%) - 3
conformed to the requirements specified in TS EN 197-1 (2010)

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Kürçs at Esat Alyamaça and Alp Bu g ra Aydinb
Fig. 2. Formation Process of Marble Sludge (Unscaled)
Fig. 3. A View from Elazig/Turkey Organized Industrial Zone Waste
Disposal Site
white marble powder is given in Fig. 5, and the physical and
chemical properties of the same powder are provided in Table 3.
2.4 Chemical Additive
Modified polycarboxylate superplasticizer is characterized by
chloride content lower than 0.1%, pH 3-7 and a density of 1.10 g/
cm3.
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o
Fig. 4. Drying of The Marble Dust
Fig. 5. SEM Micrographs of Marble Powder
Table 3. Physical and Chemical Properties of Marble Powder
Properties Marble Powder
Specific gravity (g/cm3) 2.71
Surface by blaine (cm2/g) 4372
SiO2 (%) 0.94
Fe2O3 (%) 0.46
CaCO3 (%) 97.35
3. Experimental Program
3.1 Test Specimens and Procedures
All concrete specimens are produced using Portland cement,
natural river sand and natural coarse aggregate in addition to
marble powder. Batches lacking any marble powder are allocated
to the Reference Specimen Series (REF). The concrete is
produced in the following steps by replacing sand with marble
powder at 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% and 90% by volume. This
batch of samples is named using the prefix MP (marble powder)
in combination with the MP content used in the specimens. For
example, a sample is referred as MP10 if sand is replaced by
volume 10% marble powder.
The Water/Cement (W/C) ratio is maintained constant in this
study. Therefore, the workability of the concrete is assumed as
negatively correlated with the MP content. Thus, the reference
concrete mixture is prepared by test mixing. Due to a highly fluid
fresh concrete is desired, the S4 slump class is targeted for the
test mixtures (TS EN 206-1, 2002). Ranges for slump classes
(S1, S2, S3 and S4) are showed in Fig. 6. The S4 slump class is
KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering
 Concrete Properties Containing Fine Aggregate Marble Powder

The compressive strength values after 7, 28, and 90 days and

splitting tensile strength values on the 28-th day are determined
using cubic samples of 150 × 150 × 150 mm (TS EN 206-1,
2002; TS EN 12390-6, 2002). The 28-day compressive strength
is determined using the 100 × 100 × 100 mm cubic samples. The
100 × 100 × 100 mm cubic samples are also used to initially
calculate the rate of water absorption (sorptivity), followed by
the abrasion resistance.

3.2 Sorptivity
Fig. 6. Slump Value and Classification of Concrete Mixtures The ASTM C 1585 methods are employed to determine the
rate of water absorption (ASTM C1585-04, 2007). For the
Table 4. Mixture Proportions and Properties of Fresh Concrete sorptivity test, the specimens are preconditioned in an oven at 50
Mixtures REF MP10 MP20 MP30 MP40 MP50 MP90 ± 2°C until they reach a constant weight. One surface (100 × 100
W/C ratio 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 mm) of the specimens is exposed to water, and the adjacent four
Water (kg/m3) 192 192 192 192 192 192 192 surfaces are coated with kerosene. Their initial weights are then
Cement (kg/m3) 320 320 320 320 320 320 320 recorded using a precision scale of 0.01 g readability. The tests
Coarse A. (kg/m3) 771 771 771 771 771 771 771 are performed in a 500 × 500 mm plastic tank. Each specimen is
Sand (kg/m3) 1077 969 861 753 645 537 105 loaded on two metal rods of 50 mm diameter. Water is then
MP (%) 0 10 20 30 40 50 90 added to the tank, and the specimens are immersed to a depth of
MP (kg/m3) 0 108 216 324 432 540 972 2 ± 1 mm. The specimen weights are then measured using the
Admixture (%) 0 0 0 0 0 0.7 2.5 precision scale (0.01 g readability) at specific intervals. The
Slump (cm) 18 17 14 9 3 3 3 recorded time and tolerance values are given in Table 5.
Slump Classes S4 S4 S3 S3 S1 S1 S1 Two different sorptivity coefficients (rate of absorption), initial
and secondary, are determined and the water absorption (I), is
given by the following expression.
also selected because it does not require the use of chemical
mt
admixtures to produce a low-cost concrete until the concrete I = ----------
- (1)
a×d
marble powder content reaches 50%. High amounts of chemical
admixtures are used to prevent the formation of a zero slump where a= The exposed area of the specimen (mm2)
concrete. Although high amounts of chemical admixtures are d= Density of water (g/mm3)
incorporated, MP100 concrete could not be produced because of I= Water absorption (mm)
its lower workability. Therefore, MP100 is not considered in this mt = The change in specimen mass at time t (g)
study, and the maximum marble content examined is MP90. The
mixing ratios and fresh concrete properties of all test series are To determine the initial sorptivity coefficient (Si), I is plotted
given in Table 4. versus the square root of time ( t ). The slope, Si (mm/s1/2) is
Typically, all concrete mixtures are prepared using a laboratory then calculated from the slope of the linear regression analysis.
mixer with a capacity of 60 dm3. The dry materials are mixed All points from 1 min to 6 hours are used for the regression
first and followed by water addition. This procedure is continued analysis. For the determination of the secondary sorptivity
for approximately 4-5 minutes. In the test series, incorporating coefficient (Ss), I is plotted against the square root of time ( t ).Ss
chemical admixtures, the chemical admixtures are initially mixed (mm/s1/2) is then calculated from the slope of this linear regression
with water and then added into the concrete. The workability of line. All points from 1 to 8 days are used for the regression
the fresh concrete is verified by a slump test apparatus. For each analysis. If correlation coefficient is less than 0.98 for Si and Ss,
series, twelve 150 × 150 × 150 mm and six 100 × 100 × 100 mm then the sorptivity coefficients could not be determined.
cubic samples are poured, which are later compacted using a
vibrating table. Following this process, all samples are maintained 3.3 Abrasion
at room temperature for approximately 24 hours, and the molds The abrasion of the concrete is determined using Turkish
of the samples are removed. After remolding, the samples are Standard 699 (TS 699, 1987). Although this standard is more
stored in a curing pool until the test time. frequently used for natural stones, many other researchers have

Table 5. Times And Tolerences for The Measurements (ASTM C1585-04, 2007)
Time 60 s 5 min 10 min 20 min 30 min 60 min 120-180-240, 300-360th min 1-2-3th days 5-6-7th days 8th day
Tolerance 2s 10 s 2 min 2 min 2 min 2 min 5 min 2h 2h 2h

Vol. 19, No. 7 / November 2015 − 2211 −


Kürçs at Esat Alyamaça and Alp Bu g ra Aydinb
utilized the Bohme Abrasion Method within this standard on
concrete (Gencel et al., 2011, Karatasç and Türk, 2011; Arslan,
2001). This method is preferred, as it assumes that surface abrasion
is critical for the marble powder incorporating concretes. A
Bohme abrasion tester containing a steel disc with a diameter of
750 mm and rotation speed of 30 cycles/minute is used during
the test. Cube specimens of 71 ± 1.5 mm (surface area = 50 cm2
± 2 cm2) are cut from 100 × 100 × 100 mm cubes and used in the
test. Abrasive dust (20 ± 0.5 g) is spread on the disc prior to the
test, and the loaded specimens are subjected to abrasion through
22 cycles. After 22 cycles, the disc surface and specimen are
cleaned, and the same testing procedure is repeated using the
same amount (20 ± 0.5 g) of abrasive dust. The test is repeated
for 20 periods (a total of 440 cycles) by rotating the sample 90o.
At the end of 440 cycles, the sample is cleaned thoroughly using
a firm brush. Abrasion is determined using the difference between
the initial and final sample volumes. The abrasive dust used in
this test mainly consisted of corundum that could pass through
the screen of a square sieve (0.20 mm mesh size). The density of
the abrasive dust is specified at 1.60-1.70 g/cm3.
4. Results and Discussion
A material can be incorporated into concrete as a replacement
for sand in two ways. Some researchers indicate that a
replacement of approximately 30% by volume sand is referred to
as a “normal amount use”, and replacement amounts exceeding
this value are referred to as “high amount use” (Siddique, 2003;
Siddique and Khatib, 2010). In this study, the marble powder use
is tested at both medium and high content levels.
4.1 Properties of Fresh Concrete
Reference concrete has the highest workability of various concrete
mixtures. The workability of concrete negatively correlates with
the marble powder content. The REF mix and the MP40 mix
showed a significant 15 cm slump loss difference. This decrease
in slump is related to the grain shape of the concrete aggregate,
surface texture, and grain-size distribution. Marble powder is a
fine-grained (< 0.125 mm mesh size) and shapeless material with
large grain surface area. An increase in the amount of powdered
material incorporated into concrete increases the surface area of
the aggregate, which leads to an increased water demand
(Vijayalakshmi et al., 2013). Studies in which sand is replaced
by powder within concrete reported a decreasing trend for slump
due to an increase in the fine proportion of an aggregate. This
trend depends on the material. For example, in similar studies
incorporating fly ash, the slump negatively correlates with the
amount of fly ash in the concrete (Siddique, 2003). The W/C
ratio of the concrete mixtures is maintained constant in this
study, the slump negatively correlated with the marble powder
content.
Figure 6 shows this change in the slump as well as the slump
classes and the series in which admixtures are incorporated into
concrete. The incorporation of marble powder into concrete can
− 2212 −
o
be expressed at a normal volume up to MP40. Plasticizer is used
at high volumes of marble content, which started at MP50, to
obtain identical slump values. The desired fresh concrete properties
for the test series MP10, MP20, MP30, and MP 40 are found and
can be obtained by changing the water content without using any
plasticizers. Conversely, concrete could not be produced in the
absence of plasticizer for the series MP50 and MP90. In these
latter test series containing a high volume of marble powder, the
desired concrete can be produced by using adequate types and
amounts of plasticizer and by adjusting the water content.
4.2 Strength Properties of Hardened Concrete
4.2.1 Compressive Strength
The most important property of the hardened concrete is the
compressive strength, which is determined via a series of tests on
concrete mixtures and test procedures in accordance with Turkish
Standards (TS). The 7-, 28-, and 90-day compressive strength
values are listed in Table 6. With the exception of the column
indicated by (*), all other test series consisted of cubic samples
of 150 × 150 × 150 mm in size. The relationship between the
marble powder content and the compressive strength of the
concrete is demonstrated in Fig. 7. The REF series of samples
showed an increase in the compressive strength of MP10 and
MP20, and the compressive strength values began to decrease at
MP30. The compressive strength values were maximized between
MP20 and MP30.
The maximum compressive strength depends on the grain-size
distribution of the aggregate, W/C ratio, marble powder type,
and several other contributing factors. As a result, the term
maximum strength zone is preferred to an expression of the
maximum strength point (see Fig. 7). Several other studies in the
literature have shown that the compressive strength of concretes
that incorporate certain amounts of marble powder is higher than
that of concretes incorporating sand (Vijayalakshmi et al., 2013;
Rashad, 2013). Powdered materials serve as better fillers and
they increase the compressive strength up to a certain level.
However, the grain-size distribution is interrupted after a certain
point, which increases the pore space and thus decreases the
compressive strength of the concrete. When all series are
Fig. 7. Relationship between Compressive Strength and Marble
Powder Rate
KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering
 Concrete Properties Containing Fine Aggregate Marble Powder

Fig. 9. Relationship between Splitting Tensile Strength and Marble

Powder Rate
Fig. 8. Correlation between Concrete Compressive Strengths at
Different Ages and Different Sizes
and the splitting tensile strength of concrete is demonstrated in
Fig. 9. The splitting tensile strength behaviour is similar to that of
considered, the maximum difference between the compressive the compressive strength (Rashad, 2013). The splitting tensile
strengths of the REF concrete and other samples is 15%. Marble strength increased until MP20, followed by a continual decrease
powder can be incorporated into concrete at desired amounts in starting at MP30. However, the rate of change in the splitting
terms of the compressive strength of concrete, because smaller tensile strength differs from that of the compressive strength. In
increments in the amount of cement help to achieve the targeted the REF series of samples, the decrease in the splitting tensile
compressive strength levels. strength is determined as 10% for MP90. For the same series, the
However, the desired fresh and hardened concrete properties increase in the splitting tensile strength for MP20 is recorded as
can be achieved for samples starting from REF until MP40. In approximately 20%, which can be likely attributed to the rough/
MP50 and the following test series, marble powder is replaced at granular surface of the marble powder that is exposed as the
least 50% of the sand, which formed a concrete class that may crack path developed under the load. It tends to be longer during
behave differently from conventional concrete. For these test the determination of the splitting tensile strength. Thus, the use
series, various mechanical properties in addition to the com- of marble powder improves the splitting tensile strength of concrete.
pressive strength should also be considered. The entire MP series
seems to be applicable when only the compressive strength is 4.2.3 Relationship between Compressive and Splitting Ten-
considered. sile Strength
The relationship between the compressive strengths of concretes Both the compressive and splitting tensile strength show similar
with similar sizes but different ages and concretes with similar characteristics and the relationship between these two should be
ages but different sizes is important in practice. The relationship highly correlated. This study is in good agreement with Gencel et
between the compressive strengths is given in Figure 8. It can be al. (2012b). Conversely, the series that showed an increase in the
estimated using such diagrams to reduce the number of test strength when marble powder is used (REF-MP10-MP20) can
specimens. In addition, if the relationship between cubic samples be evaluated separately from the series with a decrease in strength
of 100 × 100 × 100 mm and 150 × 150 × 150 mm size can be (MP30-MP40-MP50-MP90) when constraining the relationship
determined, the majority or all of the samples can be cast at a size between these two parameters. The relationship between the
of 100 × 100 × 100 mm in future studies to save effort, time and series that show increasing or decreasing strengths is indicated in
the amount of material used. Fig. 10. The relationship between the compressive strength and
split tension strength can be obtained using the equations given
4.2.2 Splitting Tensile Strength in Fig. 10.
The 28-day splitting tensile strength values are summarized in
Table 6 and the relationship between the marble powder content 4.3 Durability Properties
Concrete durability is described as the lifetime ability of concrete
Table 6. Strength Properties of Hardened Concrete
Splitting tensile
Compressive strength (N/mm2)
Mixtures strength
7 days 28 days *28 days 90 days 28 days
REF 24.8 34.1 36.2 41.4 2.6
MP10 26.3 35.3 37.1 43.3 3.1
MP20 27.4 36.3 38.1 44.2 3.2
MP30 26.8 35.5 37.4 43.20 3.1
MP40 26.0 33.4 36.4 41.2 2.8
MP50 25.4 31.4 34.9 38.5 2.6
MP90 23.2 29.3 31.5 35.2 2.4 Fig. 10. Correlation between Compressive and Splitting Tensile
*100 × 100 × 100 mm cubes Strength

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Kürçs at Esat Alyamaça and Alp Bu g ra Aydinb

to resist weathering, sulfate-bearing or acidic waters, and/or to

physical or chemical attacks due to the environment where
concrete is used. The physical and chemical factors that lead to
the deterioration of concrete can be classified into two
categories: 1) factors that result in a loss of mass due to surface
abrasion, and 2) factors that cause the cracking of the concrete.
Processes, such as abrasion, erosion, and the formation of cavities,
are investigated as part of the first group, whereas processes
including dimension and volume changes due to wetting-drying,
freeze-thawing, excessive loading, elevated temperatures, and Fig. 11. Determination of Initial and Secondary Sorptivity For REF
abrupt changes in temperature belong to the latter group. Mixes
In practice, concrete may repeatedly experience either physical
or chemical impacts, and one of these impacts may trigger the
other one. For example, the cracking of concrete as a result of
physical actions may cause chemical deterioration, as it increases
the permeability of the concrete. Likewise, an increase in the
porosity within the structure of the concrete due to chemical
actions may decrease the physical durability of the concrete
against abrasion (Page CL and Page MM, 2007). In the light of
this information, the sorptivity and abrasion resistance are the
two parameters that are integral to the determination of the Fig. 12. Relationship between Sorptivity Coefficient and Marble
durability properties of the concrete. Powder Rate

4.3.1 Sorptivity
The water absorption of the specimens is calculated for the
measurement times given in Table 5. A total of 3 specimens are
analysed from each series, and the average values are used. For
each of the series, 11 measurements are used to determine the
initial sorptivity coefficient (Si), whereas the following 7 measure-
ments are used to determine the secondary sorptivity coefficient
(Ss). The initial and secondary absorption curves and equations
for the REF series are given in Fig. 11, in which the slopes of the
equations represent the sorptivity coefficients. The initial sorptivity
coefficients (Si) are approximately twice the secondary sorptivity
coefficient (Ss) values. This difference indicates that the water
absorption property be evaluated separately for the initial and
secondary sorptivity coefficients, and both coefficient values are
calculated for each of the series. The equations and correlation
coefficients of the curves used to calculate the initial and
secondary sorptivity coefficients are provided in Table 7. All
correlation coefficients exceeded 0.98 indicated the reliability of
the tests (ASTM C1585-04, 2007).
The relationship between the sorptivity coefficient values and
marble powder content is given in Fig. 12. In this section
comparison of REF with MP10, MP20, MP30 and MP40 series
will be appropriate. Chemical additives are not used in these
series. It is thought that chemical additive can affect the sorptivity
coefficient for MP50 and MP90 series. As a result, sorptivity
coefficient value of MP50 series is very close to the value of
REF series, and therefore, this is suitable for water absorption.
Sorptivity coefficient value of MP90 series is significantly lower
than REF series. The conclusion that this decrease resulted from
marble powder usage in concrete production may not be true,
because a considerable amount of chemical additives is also used
in MP90 series. Sorptivity coefficient values of MP10, MP20,
MP30 and MP40 series are very close to the reference concrete
values. Water absorption properties of MP20 and MP30 series,
which have maximum compressive strength, are better than
reference concrete.
4.3.2 Abrasion Resistance
The abrasion values for all of the mixtures are given in Table 8.
If the abrasion values are high, the abrasion resistance is lower

Table 7. Linear Equations and Correlation Coefficients of Water Absorption for All Mixes
Mixes initial absorption secondary absorption
REF I = 0.000031√t + 0.001407 R² = 0.99 I = 0.000015√t + 0.007845 R² = 0.98
MP10 I = 0.000031√t + 0.001586 R² = 0.99 I = 0.000014√t + 0.011669 R² = 0.98
MP20 I = 0.000028√t + 0.001160 R² = 0.99 I = 0.000014√t + 0.011342 R² = 0.98
MP30 I = 0.000028√t + 0.001435 R² = 0.99 I = 0.000015√t + 0.007059 R² = 0.99
MP40 I = 0.000028√t + 0.001783 R² = 0.99 I = 0.000015√t + 0.003541 R² = 0.99
MP50 I = 0.000029√t + 0.001377 R² = 0.99 I = 0.000016√t + 0.001285 R² = 0.98
MP90 I = 0.000012√t + 0.000931 R² = 0.98 I = 0.000006√t + 0.000209 R² = 0.99

− 2214 − KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering

 Concrete Properties Containing Fine Aggregate Marble Powder
Table 8. Bohme Values of Concrete Mixes (cm3/50 cm2)
REF MP10 MP20 MP30 MP40 MP50 MP90
9.1 8.5 8.2 8.3 8.9 9.2 9.9
Fig. 13. Correlation between Abrasion Values and Compressive
Strengths
and vice versa. The behaviour of the abrasion resistance is
similar to that of the compressive strength and the split tension
strength properties because abrasion is directly related to the
resistivity properties of concrete. However, the test results indicate
only minor differences between the abrasion resistance values of
different sample series, because the difference in the compressive
strengths of these samples is insignificant. For different sample
series, the increment in the compressive strength of the concrete
equals the difference between the abrasion resistance values
(Karatasç and Türk, 2011). In this study, the force function was
chosen for the relationship between the abrasion resistance and
the compressive strength. The current study shows a strong
relationship between the abrasion resistance and the compressive
strength of the concrete, when all of the sample series are taken
into consideration (Fig. 13) and the compressive strength positively
correlates with the abrasion resistance. The abrasion resistance of
the MP10, MP20, MP30, and MP40 series is higher (if not much
higher) than that of the reference concrete, whereas the remaining
series display lower abrasion resistances compared to the
reference concrete.
4.4 Feasibility Evaluation of Concrete
A cost analysis alone is not sufficient to evaluate the use of
marble powder for concrete production, because other factors
such as fresh concrete, resistance and durability are equally
important. In a feasibility study, factors like the fresh concrete,
compressive strength, and cost parameters should be evaluated
altogether. Feasibility studies are originally designed for use by
social science researchers. The feasibility evaluation performed
in this study is one of the first examples of its kind, and these
methods will hopefully be more commonly performed in future
studies. A feasibility evaluation determines and evaluates an
investment opportunity based on certain hypotheses and predictions
that have been put forward in the process of starting a new
project (Blocher et al., 2010). Feasibility studies aim to determine
whether a business opportunity is possible, practical, and viable
(Hoadland and Williamson, 2000). A number of factors are
considered and evaluated in a feasibility study to determine the
Vol. 19, No. 7 / November 2015 − 2215 −
most efficient results. A specialist usually determines the steps
that will be followed in feasibility studies, and these steps may
differ from one subject or project to another.
In this study, a feasibility evaluation is performed using para-
meters such as fresh concrete, compressive strength, sorptivity,
abrasion resistance, and cost. Two important properties are
dominant for waste materials used in concrete and these are
economy and environment. Marble powder is more economical
aggregate than sand (Alyamaç and Ince, 2009). Production cost
of sand (obtaining, washing, sieving, and transport) is greater
than production cost of the marble powder (drying and grinding).
Moreover, like in MP10-MP20-MP30 and MP40 series, without
using any chemical additive in the production of concrete, these
productions are more economical. MP40 series come out feasible
concrete series. These series are workable, strong, durable,
economic and green. MP50 is less feasible than MP40 because
of low compressive strength and use of chemical additive. MP90
has disadvantages due to workability and strength.
5. Conclusions
This study aims to develop a concrete mixture with maximum
marble content that has strength properties comparable to that of
the non-marble reference concrete, as opposed to developing a
marble powder incorporating concrete with maximum compressive
strength. It is intended to replace sand with marble powder in
concrete, because incorporation of higher amounts of waste
marble powder into concrete is environmentally friendly and
economically feasible.
The workability of concrete negatively correlates with the
marble powder content but highly important result is that, it is
possible to produce required concrete workability with and
without chemical additives.
When the amount of marble powder used in the range of
optimal values, the compressive strength of marble powder
concrete is higher than the compressive strength of reference
concrete. Nearly minimum amount of cement is used for
specimens in this study. Requested compressive strength can be
reached by increasing the amount of cement. Higher-strength
concrete can be obtained by using marble powder with appropriate
amount of cement. Optimum rates of marble powder have
positive effect on the durability properties of concrete such as
water absorption and abrasion resistance.
When the concrete is produced with a waste material, it is
expected to improved workability, strength and durability of
concrete properties or at least to be close to these properties with
respect to reference concrete. Using up to 40% marble powder in
concrete is suitable in accordance with the requirements. Thus,
environmentally friendly, economic and durable concrete is
obtained.
Acknowledgements
The authors of this paper would like to thank the Scientific

Kürçs at Esat Alyamaça and Alp Bu g ra Aydinb
Research Projects Administration Unit of Firat University (Project
No: MF.13.07) for the financial support.
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