Benefits of Incorporating Induction Furnace Slag in Concrete as Replacement of Cement: A Case Study of Pakistan

Abstract

As Pakistan along with the rest of the world continues to develop, demand for limited natural resources continues to increase also. This demand for resources and subsequent waste that is generated has driven the idea of sustainability towards the forefront of modern day research. To achieve this goal, new and innovative ways are being developed to recycle waste materials that otherwise would end up in landfill sites. Slag, a by-product of steel manufacturing is one such waste material. Pakistan as being a developing country does not have proper facilities to insure safe disposal and recycling of slag. Hence, new and innovative ways for recycling slag are a necessity for Pakistan to move towards technological advancement. Current study focuses to explore the feasibility of using local induction furnace slag as partial substitute of OPC (Ordinary Portland Cement) in concrete as well as to check its performance against chloride and sulphate damage. The test results showed that 15% or more slag replacement will make the concrete immune to chloride and sulphate damage. However, results also indicate that with increase in slag replacement percentage there is a significant drop in compressive, flexural and split tensile strength of concrete. Keeping in view the loss of strength, immunity against chloride and sulphate damage, reduction in cost of making concrete and sustainability benefits; 15% slag replacement has been deemed optimum replacement value.

Evaluation of Mechanical and Permeability Characteristics of Microfiber-Reinforced Recycled Aggregate Concrete with Different Potential Waste Mineral Admixtures

“…The outcome of this research can be used for the evaluation of the effect of local waste mineral admixtures found in Pakistan on the properties of plain and fiber-reinforced concrete. A variety of natural and waste mineral admixtures are cheaply available in Pakistan, e.g., bentonite, metakaolin, rice husk ash, slag, fly ash, and silica fume [13,[55][56][57], but there is a lack of published information on the properties of these mineral admixtures in normal and fiber-reinforced concrete. To cope with the rising climate changes in Pakistan and surrounding regions, it is necessary to reduce the reliance of the concrete industry on cement production by supplementing the demand for cement with supplementary mineral admixtures.…”

Mechanical and durability characteristics of concrete containing induction furnace steel slag as an alternative to coarse aggregates

“…Utilizing these slags in the construction industry will both reduce the cost of storage and enable more efficient use of natural resources [31]. Although slag has a high iron oxide content, it can't be used in cement production.…”

Bacillus Subtilis as Self-Healing Agent in Cement Mortar: Combined and the Separate Effect of Bacteria and Calcium Lactate on Self-Healing Behavior in Cement Mortar

“…Concrete structures are susceptible to crack development mainly due to early-age shrinkage and loading conditions. Scientific studies revealed that the service life and performance of concrete is reduced due to crack formation/growth, through which water, Clions and CO2 gas penetrates resulting in the replacement of cement [3], use of wood waste to enhance the echo efficiency of cement [4], the role of steel fibers to enhance mechanical properties of concrete [5], cracking of clay beams that can replace concrete beams [6] and effect of treated wastewater on the strength of concrete [7].…”