Effect of steel slag aging on strength and durability properties of high performance concrete

Abstract

Steel slag is an industrial by-product of steel industries. The disposal of this solid waste material in dump yards is usually associated with high cost along with negative impact on the environment. Concrete is a widely used construction material in the world. More than ten billion tonnes of concrete are consumed annually. Conventional concrete is a versatile material and it is a mixture of cement, natural aggregate and water. Aggregate occupy 70% to 80% of the total volume of concrete and affect the fresh and hardened properties of concrete. In most parts of the world, conventional cement concrete consists of river sand as fine aggregate and gravel/limestone/granite as coarse aggregate. Increase in demand and decrease in supply of aggregates for the production of concrete, results in the need to identify new sources of concrete aggregates. Steel slag is considered as potential alternative to natural aggregates. The advancement of concrete technology, as well as the development of new materials and components, has resulted in increased performance and strength requirements, which are not adequately satisfied by conventional materials. Maintenance, repair and rehabilitation of existing cement concrete structures are cause significant increase in expenditures. Hence, there is an newlineurgent need to pay more attention to improve the properties of concrete with respect to strength, durability and structural behaviour. newline newline