Development of eco-friendly self-compacting concrete using marble powder, blast furnace slag and glass fibre-reinforced plastic waste: Application of mixture design approach

Abstract

The present paper investigates the valorisation of three local Algerian waste materials, namely Marble Powder (MP), Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS), and Glass Fibre-Reinforced Plastic Waste (GFRPW), as mineral additions in Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC). A mixture design modeling approach was used to evaluate the impact of these waste materials and their interactions on the fresh and hardened properties of SCC. Experimental tests were performed, including slump flow, V-funnel, L-box, air content, and compressive strength tests. Regression models were developed to understand the behaviour of SCC based on the proportions of MP, GGBS, and GFRPW in both binary and ternary systems. The statistical analysis software Minitab was employed for the modeling. The results revealed that the combination of MP, GGBS and GFRPW in ternary systems has a synergistic effect on slump flow and L-box ratio. The highest slump flow value and L-box ratio were achieved at proportions of approximately 38% MP, 37% GGBS, and 25% GFRPW. The V-funnel time was affected by the proportions of the waste materials, decreasing with higher MP and GFRPW proportions and increasing with a higher GGBS proportion. In GFRPW-based systems, a higher GFRPW proportion increased the air content, but combining GFRPW with GGBS significantly reduced it. Furthermore, the interaction between GGBS and GFRPW enhanced the development of the 28-day compressive strength, where the highest value of 54 MPa was reached at the combination of 32% GFRPW and 68% GGBS. After 90 days of curing, the SCC mixtures containing 100% GGBS exhibited the highest compressive strength value of 66 MPa. This study provides valuable insights for optimising the use of MP, GGBS, and GFRPW in SCC, potentially leading to more sustainable and cost-effective concrete production.