An investigation of the compressive strength of concrete by substituting fine aggregate with sawdust

Concrete is a vital component in civil engineering, requiring sand, cement, aggregates, and water to provide strength and durability. With the booming construction industry, researchers must prepare cost-effective concrete with optimum strength. The replacement of sand is especially explored in this study as the requirement of sand is increasing in today’s modern developing world, as a result depletion of good quality sand sources can be observed, particularly in India. Therefore, sawdust, which is considered to be a waste product will definitely compensate the deficiency of natural resources like sand. This study explores the use of sawdust as a partial replacement for sand in creating M20-grade concrete cubes, as the depletion of good quality sand sources is observed globally. The percentage of partial replacements is set at 3%, 5%, and 7%, with the compressive strength of each cube evaluated and compared to standard cubes without replacement. The study shows that replacing 5% of sand with sawdust results in a 6.63% increase in compressive strength, while reducing costs by 0.47% for 3%, 0.79% for 5%, and 1.404% for 7% replacements. This makes it a resilient and economical option for concrete production. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.