Valorisation of oyster shell powder in mortars as partial replacement of cement

Abstract

The reuse of waste materials in concrete has been a major research concern in the past decades. This process has an interesting ecological and economical impact. In this paper, the recycling of shell waste into a filling material in mortars is investigated. Shell-based products have the advantage of being porous; therefore, their use could improve the thermal insulation properties of the concrete. In this paper, The influence of the incorporation of oyster shell powder as a substitution of cement on the mechanical behavior of the mortars is determined. Mortars were made by replacing a part of the Portland cement by shell powder and characterized in terms of mechanical properties. The study revealed that the substitution of cement with oyster shell powder causes a decrease of their mechanical properties. However, it increases the open porosity of the mortars, reducing their thermal conductivity and giving them good insulation properties.