Unified prediction models for mechanical properties and stress-strain relationship of dune sand concrete

Dune sand (DS) has been widely used as a partial replacement for regular sand in concrete construction. Therefore, investigating its mechanical properties is critical for the analysis and design of structural elements using DS as a construction material. This paper presents a comprehensive investigation of the mechanical properties of DS concrete, considering different replacement ratios and strength grades. Regression analysis is utilized to develop strength prediction models for different mechanical properties of DS concrete. The proposed models exhibit high calculation accuracy, with R2 values of 0.996, 0.991, 0.982, and 0.989 for cube compressive strength, axial compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and elastic modulus, respectively, and an error within +-20%. Furthermore, a stress-strain relationship specific to DS concrete is established, showing good agreement with experimental results. Additionally, nonlinear finite element analysis is performed on concrete-filled steel tube columns incorporating DS concrete, utilizing the established stress-strain relationship. The analytical and experimental results exhibit good agreement, confirming the validity of the proposed stress-strain relationship for DS concrete. Therefore, the findings presented in this paper provide valuable references for the design and analysis of structures utilizing DS concrete as a construction material.