Effect of Using Gold Mine Waste Tailings as Fine Aggregate in Concrete: Physical, Mechanical, and Durability Properties

The growing price of building materials in Ghana is partly attributed to housing and infrastructure shortages, which hamper access to homes for many residents. This study aimed to assess the potential of Gold Mine Waste Tailings (GMWT) obtained from the Talensi District, Upper East Region of Ghana to replace fine aggregate in concrete in part. Physical, mechanical properties and durability were included in the investigation. The concrete specimens were cast in the ratio of 1:1.5:3/0.6 (cement: fine aggregate: coarse aggregate: water: cement ratio) and tested for curing ages of 7, 28, 56 and 90 days. Six replacement levels were examined: 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% by weight of fine aggregate. The results of 2-Way ANOVA with Tukey HSD post hoc analysis showed that the effects of the GMWT content and curing age on all mechanical and physical properties were statistically significant. The results show that the replacement of 20% GMWT offers the highest compressive strength (34.10 MPa at 90 days) and split tensile strength (3.45 MPa at 90 days), respectively, corresponding to an increase of around 11.1% and 38.0% when compared with the control. The higher the GMWT content, the higher the water absorption, and the better the chemical resistance is at the 20% replacement level, with a strength reduction of only 1.64% following acid attack. The 50% replacement mix exhibited the highest chemical degradation (16.59% strength loss). The results suggest that GMWT can be used sustainably in the production of concrete up to a 20% replacement level and 30% in non-critical applications. Future research is recommended to include long-term performance assessment, economic feasibility analysis and comprehensive material characterisation.