EFFECT OF SAWDUST, EGGSHELLS, RICE, HUSKS, AND CORN HUSKS AS FINE AGGREGATES ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE

The purpose of this study was to determine the comparative effect of using sawdust, eggshells, rice husks, and corn husk on the mechanical properties of concrete. Concrete is made by refining, filtering, and mixing biomass materials (sawdust, rice husk, corn husk, and eggshells) with cement, water and gravel. The ratio used is sand: sawdust (1: 1), sand: sawdust: eggshells (2: 1: 1), sand: sawdust: rice husks (2: 1: 1), and sand: sawdust: corn husk (2: 1: 1). The mixture was moulded and dried in the sun for three days. Based on the compressive test, the results showed that the best concrete was obtained with a ratio of biomass sand: sawdust (1:1), which is 64,2 Newton. These results were obtained because sawdust contained levels of cellulose and hemicellulose, which could provide the binding strength between concrete particles. Based on the percentage of the water absorption test, concrete with fine aggregates sand gave the best results by absorbing as much as 1% water and passing water by 99%. With this research, the cost of making concrete can be reduced because of cheap and easy-to-find materials.