Waste Foundry Sand and Silica Fume in Sustainable Concrete: Mechanical Performance, Microstructural Characteristics, and Life Cycle Assessment
J. Environ. Nanotechnol., Volume 15, No 2 (June 2026) pp. 563-576
Abstract
The incorporation of industrial by‑products into concrete offers a promising route to reduce environmental burdens while maintaining or improving structural performance. This study evaluates the combined use of Waste Foundry Sand (WFS) as a partial replacement for natural fine aggregate and silica fume (SF) as a supplementary cementitious material in M40 concrete through an integrated experimental and environmental assessment. Concrete mixtures containing 0–30% WFS with a constant 7% SF replacement were investigated in terms of workability, mechanical properties (compressive, split tensile and flexural strength), early‑age carbonation resistance, microstructural characteristics (SEM–EDS) and cradle‑to‑gate environmental impacts using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The mix containing 10% WFS and 7% SF exhibited the best overall performance, achieving a 37.2% increase in 28‑day compressive strength relative to conventional concrete, together with proportional improvements in tensile and flexural strengths. Microstructural observations confirmed a coupled filler–pozzolanic densification mechanism, where fine WFS particles enhance particle packing and silica fume promotes secondary C–S–H formation, leading to a denser cement matrix and refined interfacial transition zone. Carbonation testing at 28 days revealed negligible carbonation depth for all mixes, consistent with the refined pore structure. LCA results, conducted with Mobius Ecochain and Ecoinvent v3.9.1 using the ReCiPe midpoint method, showed measurable reductions in climate change potential, fossil resource use and land occupation for all WFS–SF concretes compared with the reference mix. Overall, the findings demonstrate that controlled incorporation of WFS and silica fume can simultaneously enhance mechanical performance and environmental efficiency, supporting circular utilization of foundry by‑products in sustainable concrete production.
Keywords: Waste foundry sand, Silica fume, Sustainable concrete, Microstructural analysis, Life cycle assessment.
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Reference
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