Geotechnical and Environmental Assessment of Blast Furnace Slag for Engineering Applications

Abstract

The increasing demand for building materials in the road industry creates interest for a new source of high-quality aggregates. In order to conserve natural resources, more attention is focused on anthropogenic soils and industrial solid wastes. For the successful application of these types of soil, a series of geotechnical and environmental tests have to be conducted. A potential hazard in the reuse of wastes from thermal degradation in the construction industry, particularly in reinforced concrete (RC) construction, is the migration of heavy metals into the groundwater environment. In this article, a geotechnical assessment of blast furnace slag (BFS) properties is presented. We conducted a series of CBR, and oedometric tests to evaluate the feasibility of BFS application in earth construction. The oedometric test results show acceptable compression characteristics which are in the range of natural aggregates. The CBR shows that this material may be used as a pavement subbase. We also noticed the preconsolidation pressure phenomenon in both Proctor and vibro-compacted soil during the oedometric test. The compression index and recompression index value show that the compression characteristics are close to those of dense sand. Based on the results described in the article, blast furnace slag is a candidate for technological application and can become one of the elements of sustainable development by contributing to a reduction in the negative environmental impact of production and use of building materials.

Physicochemical and Microstructural Characterization of Klias Peat, Lumadan POFA, and GGBFS for Geopolymer Based Soil Stabilization

“…Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS) is a material derived from steel and iron manufacturing, mainly comprising calcium oxide, silica, and aluminum oxide [23]. In recent times, the use of GGBFS as supplementary cementitious material (SCM) has seen an uptick across the construction industry due to its high content of calcium and silicon oxides that enhance the cementation process and are considered a viable material for engineering applications [33]. The GGBFS used in this study was sourced from the Concrete Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sabah.…”

External Wall Systems in Passive House Standard: Material, Thermal and Environmental LCA Analysis

“…A detailed analysis shows that emissions from the operation of buildings account for 26% of total emissions, while emissions from the production of materials such as cement, steel, and aluminium account for 7% [8]. These data underline the need to seek energy savings and to implement sustainable methods of energy production in order to reduce the negative impact of human activity on the environment [9][10][11][12].…”

Analysis of the Water/Cement/Bentonite Ratio Used for Construction of Cut-Off Walls

“…Reducing the infiltration of contaminants into groundwater from surrounding industrial sites requires the use of effective soil barriers. There are several different materials and mixtures of materials that can be used to create these barriers [2,3]. Geomembranes made of materials such as polyethylene, PVC, or EPDM are excellent barriers against the seepage of contaminants into groundwater [4,5].…”