An Experimental Study on the Effective Utilization of Hypo Sludge in Fiber Reinforced Concrete

The disposal of industrial waste such as paper mill sludge (hypo sludge) has become a serious environmental concern due to limited landfill space and high disposal costs. Hypo sludge contains high calcium content and exhibits pozzolanic properties, making it a potential partial replacement for cement in concrete. This experimental study investigates the mechanical performance of Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC) incorporating hypo sludge at varying replacement levels of cement (0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%) along with steel or polypropylene fibers (0.5% and 1% by weight of cement). Tests conducted include compressive strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength and durability evaluation. The results indicate that concrete with 10% hypo sludge and 0.5% fibers provides optimum strength compared to conventional concrete, whereas higher replacement levels decrease strength due to reduced cementitious content. The study demonstrates that hypo sludge can be effectively used in FRC to reduce cement consumption, minimize waste disposal problems and enhance sustainability in construction.