Sustainability Assessment of Concrete Masonry Blocks Incorporating Waste Materials

Abstract

The depletion of natural fine aggregates and the growing accumulation of industrial and construction wastes pose serious challenges to sustainable development in the construction sector. This study evaluates the feasibility of producing sustainable concrete masonry blocks by partially and fully replacing river sand with five locally available alternatives: fly ash, quarry dust, lateritic waste, jarofix, and manufactured sand. Concrete mixes of 1:4:8 proportion were prepared with replacement levels of 0–100%, and their compressive strength, density, and water absorption were determined; masonry prisms were further tested to establish structural performance in accordance with IS and ASTM standards. All five optimised blocks satisfied the strength requirements for load-bearing masonry per IS 2185 (Part 1): 2005. Jarofix blocks at 30% replacement (JB03) achieved the highest block strength of 7.19 N/mm², a 38.8% improvement over the control, while fly ash (20%), quarry dust (30%), and manufactured sand (30%) blocks recorded improvements of 27.8%, 23.2%, and 16.2%, respectively. Masonry efficiency of the prisms ranged from 73.6% to 81.6%, comparable to conventional masonry. A quantitative environmental sustainability assessment based on material efficiency and embodied energy, aggregated through the simple additive weighting method, ranked the jarofix blocks highest (sustainability index = 1.0) against 0.489 for the control. The findings demonstrate that industrial by-products can be converted into structurally reliable, resource-efficient masonry units, offering a practical pathway for green construction while diverting substantial waste volumes from disposal.