Influence of the secondary aluminum chip on the physical and mechanical properties of concrete

Secondary aluminum swarf is a residue from the turning or drilling process that originates after the metal melting phase. It is a major problem in Peru because there is no management of this type of solid waste and it contaminates the soil. Therefore, as a way to reduce the accumulation rates of aluminum scrap, this study proposes the incorporation of secondary aluminum chips in the production of concrete, where its physical and mechanical properties were studied. This experimental study prepares two types of concrete, based on crushed sand and coarse aggregate with the incorporation of aluminum chips in percentages of (0.5, 1.5, 3.5 and 5%) in weight of cement, with dimensions of 2 mm in diameter and 60 mm in length. An experimental program was carried out to determine the slump, air content, unit weight, temperature and mechanical strength (compressive, tensile and flexural) at 28 days of the experimental concrete. According to the results, the slump decreases with increasing doses of chips therefore the workability was considerably reduced but the other properties tended to increase their values which are considered acceptable for physical properties. On the other hand, in compressive strength with the 0.5% percentage of chips, it increased its strength from 6.59 and 4.47% with respect to the control samples, while with other higher percentages evaluated there were low strengths even below the control samples; in splitting tensile strength, the samples with 3.5% of chips increased between 12.79 and 8.64% and in flexural strength increased between 25.72 and 20.37%, respectively. It was found that the inclusion of chips does not generate an impact greater than 10% in its compressive strength, compared to when subjected to flexural and tensile stresses at 28 days of rupture. The result of the present study contributes that it is technically feasible for the production of non-structural concrete.