Study on Utilization of Silica-Calcium Tailings in Concrete

Abstract

The large production of tailings has caused soil, water and air pollution and serious potential safety hazard. The composition, particle morphology, particle size distribution of the silica-calcium tailings are investigated to assess the feasibility of using it in concrete in this paper. The silica-calcium tailings are mainly composed of quartz, calcite and dolomite. The results show that the tailings powder can stimulate the hydration of cement and fill the gradation gap between fine aggregate and cementitious materials in concrete as micronized sand to meet the requirements of concrete. The incorporation of silica-calcium tailings in concrete reduces the ultimate total shrinkage, autogenous shrinkage and drying shrinkage at early age.