Sustainable Incorporation of Industrial By-Products as Concrete and Pavement Materials

Abstract

Effectively managing industrial waste while protecting the environment presents a significant challenge in today's industrial sector. The incorporation of recycled materials offers numerous advantages, such as environmental protection, support for the recycling industry, relief for waste management systems, and promotion of sustainable construction materials. These practices not only help conserve natural resources but also reduce construction costs. The main objective is to lessen the carbon footprint of construction activities by minimizing the use of natural resources and advancing sustainability through effective waste management and eco-friendly practices. The push for sustainable civil engineering practice by integrating waste materials in road construction (Franesqui et al., 2024; Khan et al., 2024), concrete (Tawfeeq et al. 2020; Al-Zand et al. 2020), ground improvement (Qureshi et. al. 2017, 2018, 2021; Al-Kindi et al. 2016; Aziz et al. 2021) are increasingly demanded by society. The industrial by-products such as slag and grit blast, which, when used as a recycled material in construction, proves more advantageous than merely disposing of them in landfills. This approach significantly reduces the space and energy needed for transporting by-products from industries to landfills. Moreover, in the case of slag, crushing generates minimal air pollution compared to the emissions from transporting it to landfills or processing new materials (Rabbani et al., 2012), so its utilisation in civil engineering applications is environmentally beneficial. The use of Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GBFS) in concrete and cement mortar can enhance durability and mitigate waste disposal problems (Berndt, 2009). Berndt's study on concrete with recycled coarse aggregate (RCA), slag, and fly ash found that a mix with 50% slag produced the most favorable results. Additionally, Swaroop and Venkateswararao (2013) investigated the compressive strength of M30 grade concrete with various mixes, including regular concrete and mixtures with fly ash and GBFS at 20% and 40% volume ratios. They observed that while the early strength of fly ash and GBFS concrete was lower than that of regular concrete, it outperformed traditional concrete at 28 and 60 days when using 20% fly ash and GBFS. In Oman, Al-Jabri et al. (2018) recently reported that using ferrochrome slag as a replacement for fine aggregates in mortar enhances both thermal and mechanical performance. However, it's also important to consider the long-term environmental impacts of incorporating ferrochrome slag and grit blast into concrete and pavement. Tiwari et al. (2015) outlined several approaches to evaluate the leachability of fly ash and slag. They emphasized the need to perform leachate tests on these materials before using them in civil engineering applications. In the current study, the previously discussed challenges will be addressed through a comprehensive experimental program on a meso to pilot scale. The present study focused on optimizing the substitution of waste materials for virgin materials while maintaining performance standards. The waste materials under investigation include ferrochrome slag and grit blasting abrasive media. The primary goal is to support the practice of lowering the carbon footprint of construction activities by minimizing the use of natural resources and promoting sustainability through effective waste management and environment-friendly practices.