ABSTRACT

CHAPTER I

A. INTRODUCTION

Being an island, Philippines is very rich in marine resources. Marine resource farming is

one of the primary sources of income for the Filipinos in the seaside. In general, most of the

terebra shells are discarded with no further use once the flesh is eaten or stripped off; except

that some are used for decorative purposes. Chemical and microstructure of the shell reveals

that almost all of the kind of snail shells are predominantly composed of CaO, similar to the lime

which has been used for soil stabilization. There is no known chemical reaction between the soil

and the lime except for the ion exchange. Calcium ions are used generally for soil stabilization

of soil, especially for clay kind of soil.

Concrete is a combination of cement, fine and coarse aggregates and water, which are

mixed in particular proportions to get a particular strength. The cement and water react together

chemically to form a paste with the process of hydration. Hydration is a chemical process of

combining water with other substances. The mixture sets into a rock- like solid mass, which has

considerable compressive strength but little resistance in tension. Concrete has a tremendous

versatility because of its initial fluid state. It may be poured into a mold and it is compacted by

vibration or ramming to entrapped air. The mixture sets within a few hours to form the mold or

for formwork to be removed. It is ideal for use in foundation where the load that to be carried is

wholly compressive. But in bending, tension could develop at low loads. The lack of resistance

to overcome tensile strength is overcome by providing steel bars.

In heterogeneous materials like concrete, the compressive strength and the quality of

the resulting products are dependent on the ratio and proportions of the constituent materials.

There are two type of aggregates namely fined and coarse aggregates.

Fine aggregates are generally natural sand and are graded from particles 5mm. size

down to the finest particles but excluding dust. Coarse aggregates are natural gravel or crushed

stone usually larger than 5mm and usually less than 16mm. in ordinary structure.
 Terebra shells belong to a large family of sea snails. Terebra’s are typically shaped like

slender augers or screws. Terebra shells tend to have characteristically flattened whirls. Most of

the tips have been blunted. Terebra shells are carnivores living in tropical seas. Black Terebras

are found across the Indo-Pacific region, living in the intertidal zones. Typically, shells of this

family are shaped like long, slender augers or screws, which are very similar to Turritellidae

shells or turret shells; another family of snail shell. The Turritellidaeshells is different from

Terebra with its irregular aperture with a short anterior canal or notch. Terebra also tend to have

flattened rather than convex whirls; a shape more twisted than the spiraled and one or more two

folds on the end. Worms are the primary food source of the black terebras.

Black terebras concrete is prepared almost the same way the gravel concrete is

prepared almost the same way the gravel concrete is prepared with a difference of using the

pulverized black terebras shell as an additive in the fine aggregates.

The compressive strength of the concrete are usually measured after 7, 14 and 28 days

of aged. The compressive strength of the concrete increase as the aged of concrete increases.

The time and the compressive strength have a direct relationship.

B. PURPOSE OF THE STATEMENT

The primary purpose of this research was to evaluate the use of pulverized snail shell as

a partial additive for concrete. This study also aimed to answer the following questions:

1. What is the effect of snail shell in the workability of concrete mixture?

2. How does snail shell affect the properties of hardened concrete in terms of

compressive (2.1) and flexural strength (2.2) with the mass percent of the admixture

equal to :

2.1 a.) 5% 2.2 a.) 10%

b.) 8% b.) 15%

c.) 10% c.) 20%

 3. How does the strength of concrete mixed with snail shell compare with the

plain concrete?

C. OBJECTIVES

D. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to use snail shell as a partial replacement to fine aggregates to lessen

the use of fine aggregates. At the same time, this study utilized one of the most common sea

wastes, which is the coconut shell.

The study also aimed tolead the students to acquire new information and ideas in ways

of producing new mixture for concretes that will be beneficial to the field of civil engineering and

other professions related to it.

To the researchers, this study provided opportunities to enhance their knowledge and

skills and to share valuable ideas to the community.

The study will also serve as a guide and reference for similar studies for the future

researchers.

E. SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

The research covered the production of concrete with the addition of snail shell as partial

replacement to fine aggregates. The research studied the possible effects of snail shell in the

strength of the concrete mixture.

The scope of this study covered the testing of concrete with snail shells as partial

replacement to fine aggregates including its flexural and compressive strength. The entire

research was directed based on the standards of the American Society for Testing and

Materials. The tests included the compressive strength of the cylindrical concrete specimen

(ASTM- C39/ C39M) and flexural strength of concrete beam specimen (ASTM- C78).
 The study has been limited to 5%, 8%, 10% content of snail shell to the total weight of

cylindrical concrete specimen and 10%, 15%, 20% for the rectangular concrete specimen. A

concrete proportioning, having a ratio of 1:2:2 (cement: sand: gravel). For the compressive and

flexural strength test, 14 days strength of concrete was considered.

F. DEFINITION OF TERMS

ASTM C 39 - ASTM C39 determines the compressive strength of cylindrical concrete

specimens such as molded cylinders and drilled cores. It is limited to concrete having a unit

weight in excess of 50 lb/ft3 (800 kg/m3).

A compressive axial load is applied to molded cylinders or cores until failure occurs. The

compressive strength of the specimen is calculated by dividing the maximum load achieved

during the test by the cross-sectional area of the specimen. The results of this test method are

used as a basis for quality control of concrete.

A testing machine, capable of providing the load rates as prescribed in the standard

should be equipped with two steel bearing blocks, one of which is  a spherically seated block

that will bear on the upper surface of the specimen, and the other a solid block on which the

specimen will be placed on. Before conducting ASTM C39, it is important to read the entire

specification in the relevant ASTM publication.

ASTM C78 - ASTM C78 determines the flexural strength of concrete by the use of a

simple beam with third-point loading.

Results are reported as the modulus of rupture (MOR), which is the flexural strength of

the concrete sample just before it yields.

A testing machine, capable of applying and monitoring loads at a uniform rate without

shock or interruption, and a three-point flex apparatus as prescribed in the standard should be
used to calculate the MOR. Before conducting ASTM C78, it is important to read the entire

specification in the relevant ASTM publication.

Cement – Cement is a fine mineral powder manufactured with very precise processes. Mixed

with water, this powder transforms into a paste that binds and hardens when submerged in

water. Because the composition and fineness of the powder may vary, cement has different

properties depending upon its makeup.

Cement is the main component of concrete. It's an economical, high-quality construction

material used in construction projects worldwide.

Cement is made by grinding together a mixture of limestone and clay, which is then

heated at a temperature of 1,450°C. What results is a granular substance called "clinker," a

combination of calcium, silicate, alumina and iron oxide. 

Coarse aggregates- Coarse aggregates have a wide variety of construction

applications because they resemble standard rock particles, as opposed to fine aggregate

which more closely resembles sand. Coarse aggregates are an integral part of many

construction applications, sometimes used on their own, such as a granular base placed under

a slab or pavement, or as a component in a mixture, such as asphalt or concrete mixtures.

Coarse aggregates are generally categorized as rock larger than a standard No. 4 sieve (3/16

inches) and less than 2 inches.

Compressive Strength- Compressive strength is the maximum stress a material can

sustain under crush loading. The compressive strength of a material that fails by shattering

fracture can be defined within fairly narrow limits as an independent property. However, the

compressive strength of materials that do not shatter in compression must be defined as the

amount of stress required to distort the material an arbitrary amount. Compressive strength is
calculated by dividing the maximum load by the original cross-sectional area of a specimen in a

compression test.

Curing- Curing of concrete is defined as providing adequate moisture, temperature, and

time to allow the concrete to achieve the desired properties for its intended use. This would

mean maintaining a relative humidity in the concrete of greater than 80 percent, a temperature

greater than 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and for a time typically ranging from three to 14 days

depending on the specific application. When these recommendations are properly specified and

performed in the field, the final properties of the concrete mixture will be achieved.

Fine aggregates- Fine aggregate is natural sand which has been washed and sieved to

remove particles larger than 5 mm and coarse aggregate is gravel which has been crushed,

washed and sieved so that the particles vary from 5 up to 50 mm in size. The fine and coarse

aggregate are delivered separately. Because they have to be sieved, a prepared mixture of fine

and coarse aggregate is more expensive than natural all-in aggregate. The reason for using a

mixture of fine and coarse aggregate is that by combining them in the correct proportions, a

concrete with very few voids or spaces in it can be made and this reduces the quantity of

comparatively expensive cement required to produce a strong concrete.

Flexural Strength - Flexural strength is one measure of the tensile strength of concrete.

It is a measure of an unreinforced concrete beam or slab to resist failure in bending. It is

measured by loading 6 x 6 inch (150 x 150-mm) concrete beams with a span length at least

three times the depth. The flexural strength is expressed as Modulus of Rupture (MR) in psi

(MPa) and is determined by standard test methods ASTM C 78 (third-point loading) or ASTM C

293 (center-point loading).

Flexural Strength of Concrete Flexural MR is about 10 to 20 percent of compressive

strength depending on the type, size and volume of coarse aggregate used. However, the best
correlation for specific materials is obtained by laboratory tests for given materials and mix

design. The MR determined by third-point loading is lower than the MR determined by center-

point loading, sometimes by as much as 15%.

Snail Shell - Snail shell is made of calcium carbonate and keeps growing as long as the

snail grows. They keep adding more calcium carbonate to the edge until the snail reaches adult

size. The life expectancy of snails in the wild is about 3 to 7 years, but in captivity, they can live

up to 10-15 years or even more.

Universal Testing Machine - A Universal Testing Machine (UTM) is used to test both

the tensile and compressive strength of materials. Universal Testing Machines are named as

such because they can perform many different varieties of tests on an equally diverse range of

materials, components, and structures. Most UTM models are modular, and can be adapted to

fit the customer’s needs.

Universal Testing Machines can accommodate many kinds of materials, ranging from

hard samples, such as metals and concrete, to flexible samples, such as rubber and textiles.

This diversity makes the Universal Testing Machine equally applicable to virtually any

manufacturing industry.

The UTM is a versatile and valuable piece of testing equipment that can evaluate

materials properties such as tensile strength, elasticity, compression, yield strength, elastic and

plastic deformation, bend compression, and strain hardening. Different models of Universal

Testing Machines have different load capacities, some as low as 5 kN and others as high as

2,000 kN.

Tests can also be performed in controlled environmental conditions. This is achieved by placing

the Universal Testing Machine into an environmental room or chamber. For example, metals

testing can be conducted at extreme temperatures: from -196°C (-321°F) to over 1000°C

(1800°F).