Experimental studies on strength and behaviour of concrete using quarry dust and copper slag powder

Abstract

There is a universal consensus that our global infrastructure faces an urgent need in the 21st century for both greater sustainability and better protection from natural and man-made hazards This calls for an advanced material which can be used to delay or prevent the decay of the construction materials used in the infrastructure and buildings when subjected to commonly encountered environmental actions as well as severe loadings such as earthquake and impact The major problem of concrete the most common material used in infrastructure all over the world is the considerable deterioration and repair works needed due to its brittleness and limited durability Sustainability in environmental resource management includes controlling financial societal and natural systems both within and outside an organizational entity so that it can sustain itself and the system it exists in A sustainable or green concrete structure is one that is constructed so that the total societal impact during its entire life-cycle is minimal Concrete is one of the most important materials in building construction and other infrastructure works About 57 billion m3 of concrete was generated in 2016 worldwide which is more than 08 m3 of concrete generated per person once in a year It is anticipated that the need for concrete will increase further to almost 75 billion m3 about 18 billion tons a year by 2050 Such an enormous utilization of concrete calls for higher use of natural aggregates and cement thus taking toll on the environment At least three quarters of the total volume of concrete consists of coarse and fine aggregates Obviously natural resources such as river sand are getting depleted The prohibition on mining in some areas and the growing need for natural environment conservation further exasperate the problem of river sand availability Finding new alternative materials for sustainable development so as to substantially decrease the consumption of natural resources has become imperative to safeguard the interests of future generations High consumption of vi newlinenatural resources lead to greater amount of industrial wastes and environmental degradation Such factors have driven researchers to come up with solutions leading to much needed sustainable development. newline newline