The effect of using basic oxygen slag with by-product and non-hazard waste materials to produce paving blocks

Abstract

The production of Portland cement has significant adverse effects on the environment due to the emission of carbon dioxide. Therefore reduction of Portland cement content will benefit the carbon footprint of concrete products. The use of waste and by-product materials, such as basic oxygen slag (BOS), ground granulated blast furnance (GGBS), run-of-station ash (ROSA), plasterboard gypsum (PG) and cement by-pass dust (BPD) for the production of paving blocks is investigated. The combinations of binary and ternary blends in different mixes are considered. The split tensile strength of paving blocks specimens, verified that a cementitious mix containing BOS up to 70%, ROSA up to 35%, GGBS up to 40%, BPD up to 10% and PG up to 5% by weight can replace Portland cement by 80% without having any substantial impact on the strength of the paving blocks produced in accordance with BS EN 1338:2003.