DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE GROUT COMPOSITES UTILIZING CONSTRUCTION AND DATE PALM WASTE FOR UNDER-GROUTING APPLICATIONS

Cementitious grouts, created by blending Portland cement, water, and aggregates/binders, are widely used in the construction industry, particularly for under-grouting equipment and machine beds, due to their affordability, simple preparation, and robust mechanical properties. Incorporating waste materials into grout composites is increasingly favored for its environmental benefits and sustainability focus. This study explores construction and date palm waste in cementitious grouts for under-grouting heavy machinery within Saudi Arabia's local industries. Three types of grouts (CCW, CDP, CFDP) with the same water-to-cement ratio but varying levels of waste substitution were compared against a benchmark specimen with no waste. The properties of these grout specimens with 2%, 5%, and 10% waste content were analyzed. The inclusion of construction waste generally maintained or slightly improved compressive strength; notably, grouts with construction waste reached peak strength within seven days and showed a 16.23% increase in flexural strength compared to the control. Conversely, as optical microscopy showed, grouts containing date palm waste performed poorly due to high water absorption and inadequate bonding within the matrix, leading to weaker mechanical properties. Thus, while cementitious grouts containing construction waste demonstrate enhanced sustainability and mechanical strength suitable for replacing the benchmark grouts in under-grouting applications, where the primary concern is the compressive strengths, those modified with date palm waste do not meet the necessary mechanical standards due to structural weaknesses.