Sustainable Sand Concrete Engineering

Sustainable sand concrete engineering encompasses the design, production and application of concrete in which conventional river or marine aggregates are partially or wholly replaced by alternative fine materials such as desert, dune or aeolian sands, recycled fines and industrial by-products. This field addresses critical environmental challenges arising from rampant sand mining, ecosystem degradation and the carbon footprint of cement production. By integrating local low-cost sands, supplementary cementitious materials and tailored admixtures, researchers are enhancing workability, mechanical performance and durability while reducing embodied energy and resource depletion. Developments in microstructure analysis, novel binder chemistries and fibre reinforcement strategies are expanding the service life and load-bearing capacity of sustainable sand concretes. The global significance of this work lies in its potential to supply resilient infrastructure in arid regions, mitigate riverbed erosion, curtail CO₂ emissions and foster circular-economy practices within the construction sector. Practical applications range from lightweight wall panels and frost-resistant pavements to ultra-high-performance elements that meet stringent durability standards under harsh environmental conditions.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Sustainable Sand Concrete Engineering publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in sustainable sand concrete engineering across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Desert sand concrete (DSC): Concrete in which conventional fine aggregate is wholly or partly replaced by unaltered desert sand, requiring specific admixtures or fibres to address poor grading.

Aeolian sand: Fine, wind-blown particles typically sourced from dunes, characterised by rounded grain shapes and narrow grain-size distributions.

Slump: A measure of concrete workability and consistency, determined by the vertical settlement of a standardised cone mould upon removal.

Fibre reinforcement: The incorporation of discrete fibres (e.g. polypropylene, glass, steel) into concrete to control cracking, enhance toughness and improve post-crack load-bearing capacity.

Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC): A class of cementitious materials with compressive strengths often exceeding 150 MPa, achieved through optimised particle packing, low water-binder ratios and fine admixtures.

References

1. Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Polypropylene–Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Desert Sand Concrete. Polymers (2023).
2. Concrete Made with Dune Sand: Overview of Fresh, Mechanical and Durability Properties. Materials (2022).
3. Mechanical Properties and Environmental Evaluation of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete with Aeolian Sand. Materials (2020).
4. Frost Resistance of Desert Sand Concrete. Advances in Civil Engineering (2021).