Pine cone waste from pine tree as a sustainable coarse aggregate for lightweight concrete: physical and mechanical properties
摘要
There is a lot of pine cone waste in the pine forests in different parts of India, which makes wildfires more likely. We need to get rid of this trash. This study investigated the mechanical and thermophysical properties of the pine cone scale (PCS) as a replacement for coarse aggregate in pine cone scale-based concrete. The alternate volume ratio of the coarse aggregate was set at 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%, respectively. The results showed that the PCS completely replaced the coarse aggregate. The compressive strength, splitting tensile and flexural strength, and modulus of elasticity of pine cone scale concrete (PCSC) were 19.7 MPa, 1.91 MPa, 3.31 MPa, and 9.8 GPa, respectively. These values were 34.98%, 30.23%, 24.94%, and 33.78% lower than those of concrete without PCS. The PCS100 combination, on the other hand, had an oven-dry density of 1893 kg/m3, which met the density criterion for structural lightweight concrete (LWC). Importantly, full replacement of natural coarse aggregate by PCS results in up to 100% reduction in quarry aggregate demand while valorizing abundant pine cone waste that otherwise contributes to over one million tons of annual forest litter in the Indian Himalayas. The findings suggest that using pine cone scale in concrete appears to be a viable solution for the effective use of waste pine cones and the mitigation of natural source depletion. Such research will assist in reaching a conclusion on the amount of pine cone scale to be used in the replacement of traditional aggregates in concrete manufacturing.
Graphical abstract