Abstract:
Solid waste management is one of the most serious issues confronting emerging countries like
Ethiopia. Eggshells and corncobs were among that trash; rising population and urbanization have
resulted in the development of many tons of solid garbage annually from diverse activities.
Eggshell and corncob wastes can be reprocessed and utilized as a partial replacement for cement
in mortar formulations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the durability and strength
attributes of cement mortar using eggshell powder and corn cob ash as partial substitutes for
ordinary Portland cement in regular mortar manufacture. Mortar mixtures were created by partially
substituting cement with Eggshell powder and Corncob ash in various amounts (0%, 5%, 10%,
15%, 20%, 25%, and 30%) by weight, and the mixes were encoded using
2.5%,5%,7.5%,10%,12.5%,15%, and 20% by altering the ratio of eggshell powder and corncob
ash. On mortar samples, tests for consistency, setting time, compressive strength, water absorption,
sulphate attack, Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Differential
Thermal Analysis (DTA) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) were performed. The test
findings suggested that the setting time of the mix increased with an increase in corncob ash
content and vice versa with eggshell powder. The compressive strength of mortar rose with
increasing eggshell powder share and dropped with increasing corncob ash, with findings recorded
in the range of 27.27-20.28 MPa for the 28th-day sample with 5% and 30% Eggshell powder (ESP)
and corncob ash (CCA), respectively. However, it rises as the curing days rise, whereas the
mortar's water absorption rises as the replacement rises but falls as the curing days rise. Sample
morphological structures improved as replacement and curing days increased. The loss of mass as
the temperature rises increases with the replacement percentage. Also, Eggshell powder losses
more weight when subjected to sulphate attack. From the result, 15% of 2:1 Eggshell powder (ESP)
and Corncob ash (CCA) replacement produces mortar with optimal compressive strength.
Keywords: Eggshell Powder, Corncob Ash, Mortar, Compressive strength, Sulphate attack, Water
Absorption