Iron tailings are an excellent secondary resource. Reasonable use, it can not only alleviate the problem of resource shortage, but also solve some environmental pollution problems. Therefore, it has a good development prospect. The resource utilization of iron tailings has always been a hot spot of social concern. The article reviews the results achieved by the predecessors. In addition, outlines the method of activation of iron tailings and the influence of its strength and durability as a concrete composite admixture. At last, the prospects of the research on the utilization of iron tailings are put forward.

Recently, the use of sustainable materials has gained increasing attention and recognition, especially in the construction industry. As the main component of concrete, ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is undoubtedly one of the most commonly used building materials in the world. However, the manufacture of OPC is accompanied by environmental and ecological problems such as the release of carbon dioxide. According to estimates, about 5%-8% of the world think that carbon dioxide emissions come from the OPC industry, so it is urgent to use fly ash, tailings, slag and other industrial solid waste to produce cement instead of ordinary Portland cement.This article summarizes the achievements of the predecessors and outlines the influence of different iron tailings and iron tailings content on the mechanical properties and durability of concrete.