Research on freeze resistance and life prediction of Desert sand–Crushed stone fine aggregate concrete

Despite the global abundance of Desert sand (DS), its application in engineering remains limited. This application can help alleviate challenges related to high unit costs and the scarcity of natural fine aggregate supplies. Freeze resistance experiments were conducted on C30 concrete incorporating varying proportions of DS, including 0 %, 25 %, 50 %, 75 %, and 100 %. DS was mixed with Tuff crushed stone fine aggregate (Manufactured sand, referred to as MS). The freeze durability of the composite fine aggregate concrete was comprehensively evaluated from three perspectives: surface morphology, a macroscopic analysis including mass loss and relative dynamic elastic modulus (RDEM), and microscopic examinations encompassing pore structure observation and scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging. Utilizing the damage degree index of the dynamic elastic modulus and the Weibull distribution model, the life prediction process was conducted to elucidate the time-varying behavior of DS-MS concrete. According to the test findings, the concrete specimen DS25-MS75 demonstrates the highest freeze resistance. The mass loss rate shows a pattern of initial decrease followed by an increase with higher desert sand admixture, whereas the RDEM initially increases and then decreases. Optimal desert sand admixture levels can prevent and delay concrete degradation, thereby enhancing its freeze resistance. Excessive desert sand content leads to increased water demand during the curing process, resulting in elevated porosity and facilitating the formation of voids. Under the action of freezing and thawing cycles in water, DS25 %-MS75 % concrete has the longest expected service life with an actual life of 101 years, while DS100 %-MS0 % concrete has the shortest service life with an actual life of only 54.5 years.