An experimental investigation was conducted to explore the flexural behaviour of reinforced beam made with dune sand (DS) from Gurbantunggut desert in northwest China’s Xinjiang province. In order to study the influence of dune sand replacement levels on the engineering properties of dune sand concrete(DSC) beam, the mechanical properties of DSC and the flexural behaviour of DSC beam were examined with the dune sand replacement levels ranged from 0% to 80%. Based on the test results, the equations for DSC were proposed to describe the effect of DS replacement levels on mechanical properties of DSC. Meanwhile, the crack pattern and failure modes of DSC beams were investigated, the formula to calculate flexural strength of DSC beam was established, and the concrete strain, strains in reinforcement and load-deflection curve of beams were discussed.

The incorporation of desert sand-mineral admixture improves the abrasion resistance of concrete. To prolong the service life of assembled concrete channels and mitigate the depletion of river sand resources, the effects of fly ash (FA), silica fume (SF), desert sand (DS), and basalt fiber (BF) on the mechanical properties and the abrasion resistance of concrete were examined, alongside an analysis of their microstructures to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of influence. The results indicated that the abrasion resistance strength of concrete mixed with 10% FA and 0.05% BF alone increased by 80.19% and 81.59%, respectively, compared with ordinary concrete (OC). When SF was added to the concrete at a dosage of 10%, it improved the mechanical properties and the abrasion resistance of the concrete. Furthermore, adding SF resulted in a 12.50% increase in compressive strength and a 12.27% increase in abrasion resistance strength compared to OC. The addition of DS did not significantly enhance the concrete’s abrasion resistance. The combination of ingredients for desert sand concrete (DSC) that provides excellent abrasion resistance was determined using an orthogonal experiment. The optimal mixture consisted of 10% FA content, 10% SF content, 40% DS content, and 0.05% BF content, which increased the abrasion resistance strength by 112.95% compared to OC. Through microscopic analysis, it is found that the width of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) is an important factor in determining the abrasion resistance of concrete, and a narrower ITZ enhances the concrete’s abrasion resistance. The study’s findings could function as a theoretical reference for the engineering design of DSC.

An experimental study was performed to investigate the shear strength of concrete beams made with dune sand (DS) from the Gurbantunggut Desert in the Chinese province of Xinjiang. The test consisted of 3 series of beams which explored the shear properties of dune sand concrete (DSC) beams. The failure mode, crack pattern, load deflection, and stirrup strain were investigated. Meanwhile, the effect of shear span‐to‐depth ratio (a/d), stirrup ratio, and dune sand replacement ratio on the shear strength of DSC beams was discussed. The results showed that the dune sand replacement ratio had insignificant influence on the failure mode of beams, so it was feasible to use DS to fabricate beams in regions of Xinjiang in China. Furthermore, the measured shear strengths of the DSC beams were compared with the calculated values of current design codes, and the results indicated that the shear strength of DSC beams was not precisely predicted by current design codes. Therefore, a modified formula was proposed to calculate the shear strength of DSC beams.

This study aims to explore the mechanical behavior of Desert Sand Concrete (DSC) under freeze–thaw (F-T) cycles. By adjusting the number of F-T cycles, the research analyzed the impact of various desert sand replacement ratios on the frost resistance of concrete. The study focused on the dynamic changes in mass loss of concrete specimens, relative dynamic elastic modulus, cubic compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and axial compressive strength. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to analyze the micro-morphology of specimens after F-T cycles. This analysis aimed to predict the service life of DSC and provide practical recommendations for the maximum compressive strength loss rate within the designed service life. The results indicated that although the frost resistance of DSC was similar to that of ordinary concrete before 50 F-T cycles, it subsequently exhibited a nonlinear degradation trend correlated with increasing desert and replacement ratios, with both frost resistance and compactness reaching optimal levels at a 40% replacement rate. Additionally, the F-T damage model proposed in this study demonstrated high applicability and fitting accuracy. This model provided effective theoretical support for understanding and predicting the mechanical behavior of DSC.