STEEL SLAG’S PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL IMPACT ON CONCRETE WORKABILITY AND STRENGTH AS FINE AGGREGATE

Abstract

This research aims to uncover how the properties of steel slag affect concrete strength and workability. To gain insight into the behavior of concrete over time in different circumstances, we assessed its performance with varying levels of steel slag included as fine aggregate. This examination covered periods spanning from formation to 3, 7 and 28 days for a comprehensive analysis. Concrete mixes were prepared by substituting fine aggregates with varying proportions of steel slag. The use of advanced techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) revealed that an abundant amount of calcium (Ca), and oxygen (O), exist in the composition of steel slags. According to the findings, incorporating more steel slag into concrete had an adverse impact on its workability. This manifested as a decrease in the material's flowability. The mixture that produced the optimal results had a slump value of 76 mm and a compressive strength of 30.88 MPa when 20% of the fine aggregate was replaced with steel slag. This mixture also displayed a more fluid consistency, facilitating its application.