Investigation on concrete compressive strength mixed with sand contaminated by crude oil products

The leak of oil products due to the huge demand would result in contaminating the sand that might be used in the concrete industry. This paper experimentally investigates the effect of contaminated sand with kerosene and diesel on the compressive strength of conventional normal weight concrete. The experimental program consisted of testing standard concrete cubes casted with sand contaminated with kerosene and diesel at different percentages of 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%, respectively by the dry weight of the sand. In addition, uncontaminated samples were casted to serve as benchmark (control) specimens. The casted samples were tested in accordance with the ASTM standards at different curing times. The test results showed a noticeable reduction up to 42% in the concrete compressive strength as the contamination level increases. The results of this investigation imply that special attention in the design and analysis of concrete should be considered when contaminated sand is found in the mix. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.