This document discusses a study on using natural red mud as a partial replacement for cement in cement mortar. Preliminary tests were conducted on cement, fine aggregate, and red mud. Cement mortar cubes were prepared with 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% replacements of cement with red mud. The compressive strengths of the cubes were tested at 7 and 28 days. The results showed that compressive strength decreased as the proportion of red mud increased. Specifically, compressive strengths dropped by 15-25% with a 20% replacement of cement with red mud. Therefore, red mud has potential as a partial cement replacement but reduces the strength of cement mortar.

1. POTENTIAL USE OF NATURAL RED MUD AS
PARTIAL REPLACEMENT IN CEMENT
BY
G.MURALI MOHAN

2. CONTENTS
Introduction
Materials used and their availability
Preliminary tests
Design of Cement mortar mix
Preparation and testing of mortar cubes
Results
conclusion

3. INTRODUCTION
During present era use of cement became very high
because of urbanization. So the natural resources
are decreasing rapidly.
As part of development, use of cement in buildings,
many other civil engineering structures is taking
place.
But the sources are getting reduced very fastly
because of heavy usage.
In order to reduce the usage of conventional
materials like cement, some experiments are done
for finding out compressive strength of Cement By
replacing Cement with Red mud

4. Red mud comprises of oxides of iron, titanium, aluminum
and silica along with some other minor constituents.
Presence of Alumina and Iron oxide in red mud
compensates the deficiency of the same components in
limestone which is the primary raw material for cement
production. Experiments have been conducted under
laboratory condition to assess the strength characteristics
of the aluminum red mud. our project work focuses on the
suitability of red mud obtained for construction. Five test
groups of cubes were casted by replacing the cement
with 0%, 5%, 10%, 15,&20% of red mud. The strength of
these cubes will be compared with the conventional
cubes .

5. MATERIALS USED AND THEIR AVAILABILITY
 Cement ( OPC 53 grade Cement)
Ordinary Portland Cement (53 Grade) is being used throughout the project.
Different tests were performed on the cement to ensure that it confirms to
the requirements of Indian standards.

6.  Fine aggregate (Locally available)
Locally available sand is used as fine aggregate in the cement mortar. The sand
here used is that which is passed through 1.18mm and retained on 90microns.

7. Red mud(locally available)
The red mud is collected from the near by fields. The red mud here used is
that which is passed through 90 microns.

8. S.NO. PROPERTY TEST RESULTS
1 Standard consistency 30%
2 Specific gravity 3.23
3
Initial setting time 53 minutes
Final setting time 530 minutes
4
Soundness (Expansion)
Lechatlier method
1 mm
5
Fineness of cement (Dry
sieving method)
6%
PRELIMINARY TESTS
A. CEMENT

9. B.FINE AGGREGATE
• Fine aggregate is locally available.
S.NO. PROPERTY TEST
RESULTS
1 Zone of sand Zone II
2 Specific gravity 2.74

10. S.NO. PROPERTY TEST RESULTS
1 Specific gravity 2.64
C.RED MUD

11. CEMENT MORTAR MIX
The proportions of materials used in the preparation of the
cement mortar cubes are as
Ratio of proportions of cement to fine aggregate(sand)
1 : 3
Amount of water to be added is
( P/4 +3) % of mass (cement +sand)
P = % of water required to make cement paste of
standard consistency

12. PREPARATION AND TESTING OF CEMENT MORTAR
CUBES
1. Mixing of material for each test cube shall be separately
prepared. The quantities of cement, sand and water shall be
as follows:
Cement – 200 gms, sand – 600 gms, water – (p/4+3) % of
mass (cement +sand) where P = % of water required to make
cement paste of standard consistency.
2.All ingredients shall be dry mixed for one minute. After that,
water is gradually added till paste is formed of uniform colour.
Mixing time shall be between 3-4 minutes. If uniform colour of
paste is not achieved after mixing more than 4 minutes, fresh
mortar shall be prepared.

13. 3.Apply the oil on interior surface of mould and place the
mould on vibrating table. Immediately after preparing mortar
as describe in point 2, place the mortar
inside cube moulds. Tamp 20 times for approximate 8 sec
to ensure full compaction of mortar.
4. Further compaction shall be done by using vibrating
machine.The period of vibration shall be two minutes
5.After completion of vibration, remove moulds along with
base plate and finish the top surface by trowel.
6.Keep moulds filled with specimen for 24 ± 1 hr. Remove
samples from mould and immediately submerge in clean
water.

14. 7.After curing period is over, remove cubes from water and
immediately place in testing machine with side facing
upwards. Load shall be uniformly applied at the rate of 171
KN/min. in UTM machine of capacity 600KN.
8.Calculate compressive strength of specimen by using
following formula
compressive strength = P / A
where
P = Maximum load applied
A = cross-sectional area of test specimen
Compressive strength shall be calculated as average value
of three samples.

15. % of red mud
added
Compressive strength for
7days (Mpa)
Compressive strength
for 28days( Mpa)
0 35.27 50.23
5 33.12 48.15
10 30.53 45.23
15 26.2 41.87
20 20.4 36.53
RESULTS

16. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
0% 10% 20% 30%
compressivestrength(mpa)
Proportions of red mud (%)
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH (7 DAYS )
COMPRESSIVE
STRENGTH (7
DAYS )
(Mpa)
compressive strength at 7days for different proportions of red mud

17. compressive strength at 28 days for different proportions of red mud
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Compressivestrength(mpa)
Proportions of red mud (%)
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH (28 DAYS)
COMPRESSIVE
STRENGTH (28
DAYS)

18. Comparision of compressive strength of cube with different
proportions of red mud
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
7 days 28 days
Compressivestrength(mpa)
Time(days)
0% red mud
5% red mud
10% red mud
15% red mud
20% red mud

19. CONCLUSION
Cement mortar cubes with different proportions of red mud
are tested
for their compressive strength and it is found that
1.The compressive strength of cement mortar will decrease
as the amount of red mud increases.
2.Also the decrease in the compressive strength of the
cement mortar is increasing as the amount of the red mud
increases.
Also it is noted that the specific gravity of the red mud is
less when compared to the specific gravity of the cement.

20. SCOPE OF FEATURE WORK
It became clear that by increasing as the proportion of the
red mud the
strength of cement mortar is getting reduced, so there
is a scope to
increase in the strength if GGBS and fly ash is added
along with the
red mud.