Enhancing the strength characteristics of No-fine concrete using wastes and nano materials

No-fine concrete is a form of lightweight porous concrete, obtained by removing the sand from the normal concrete mix. The unique characteristic of high permeability of this material has mainly facilitated its applications such as in retaining walls and drainage covers for many decades. Other benefits of this form of concrete are also with low density, efficient thermal insulation and smaller drying shrinkage. Despite such benefits, its applications are limited in practice due to its smaller strength compared to convensional concrete. This study investigates the strength enhancement of No-fine concrete using waste material (i.e. coir fiber) and nano-graphene derivatives. A series of mechanical and hydraulic experiments was conducted to characterize the properties of modified No-fine concrete matrix and optimized dosages were identified to yield the expected behaviour as required by relevant standards. The mechanisms of new additives based No-fine concrete reactions were also unveiled using microscopic driven analytical techniques conducted on representative concrete specimens. Results revealed that the improved strength characteristics of No-fine concrete enhance its use as a wide application in Civil Engineering.