Comprehensive studies on utilization of blast furnace slag as fine aggregate in pavement quality concrete

Abstract

quotBackground: Blast Furnace Slag (BFS) is obtained during the manufacture of iron and steel, and possesses inherent hydrated properties. It is utilized for making different types of construction materials. Research that focuses on engineering properties of BFS was scarce. Therefore, in comparison to other recyclable materials, such as flyash, bottom-ash, tire shreds, cement kiln dust or foundry sand, this slag was underutilized. Most of the time, BFS was used as a partial replacement of coarse aggregate and fine aggregates in the manufacturing of concrete for different purposes. Provisions in International codes related to this topic needs to be reviewed as no such provision is available in the Indian context. Apart from above, utilization of BFS in India was very limited in comparison with abroad. newlineAim: Concrete is a largely used human-made product in the world. In this modern era, cement concrete pavements are in demand as compared to bituminous pavements in highway projects. Due to the limitation of quality natural resources for making concrete, the waste utilization in the production of concrete, especially for pavements, is a major concern in advances of civil engineering. Rajkot is well known for its small scale industries for a long time and one of the fastest developing cities of India has been the hub of steel and allied industries produced BFS of amount 2500T/month from its 2000 steel processing units. This enormous quantity of BFS is a dump in an unscientific manner creates environmental issues, and little is used for landfill purpose without any technical input. The basic aim of this study is to characterize this BFS produced in Rajkot and utilize it in the production of concrete as a fine aggregate with full replacement of sand. Based on the results, utilization of BFS can be explored nationally with the same type of BFS available. newlineMaterials and Methods: In this research, BFS is utilized as fine aggregates (i.e. as sand) to produce concrete mainly for pavements. The comprehensive experimental program