Quality Control Development to Support the Decentralized Production of the Biosand Filter
Abstract
The concrete biosand filter (BSF) is a viable household water treatment option. CAWST is a non-profit organization that trains local organizations to build, install, and operate BSFs. The objective of this study was to develop and pilot a quality control workshop to support decentralized production of high quality filters. The workshop was evaluated using the Kirkpatrick model. The overall reaction and reported learning to the workshop was positive. The slump test emerged as a viable quality control test. To formulate slump test recommendations, it was desired to optimize the water-to-cement ratio and curing method. Wet curing resulted in 17.3% stronger concrete than dry curing. Dry curing resulted in 0.06% shrinkage after 28 days (p<0.0001). Water-to-cement ratio did not affect shrinkage (p = 0.69) but had a significant effect (p < 0.0001) on the strength. The optimal range for the water-to-cement (mass) was 0.51 – 0.59, or 8.0 L– 9.3 L water/filter.
Description
Keywords
Human Development, Engineering--Civil, Engineering--Environmental, Engineering--Mechanical
Citation
Chan, N. (2017). Quality Control Development to Support the Decentralized Production of the Biosand Filter (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/27491