Performance evaluation of slag as a cementitious material in concrete production – strength and durability properties

Abstract

The present study determine the influence of GGBS as a SCMs on strength and serviceability properties of concrete. The cement content of the concrete were substituted by GGBS with the replacement rate of 7.5%, 15%, 22.5% and 30% and the cement was replaced by SCMs in weight fraction. Slump cone test was executed to examine the influence of GGBS on fresh state properties of blended concrete. The study impact of GGBS on the strength properties of concrete compressive, flexural and split tensile strength tests were performed. RCPT test was made to study the chloride ion penetration in concrete and the penetration was determined through electrical conductance of concrete. Since the GGBS particles are smooth and spherical in shape, efficiently dispersed in the concrete mixture and exhibited a slump value relatively equal to the control/reference concrete. Even though the existence of GGBS reduced the concrete strength at the early eternities, as the curative time protracted, the increase in strength of the GGBS blended concrete mixtures was relatively upper than the control mixtures. In addition, the pozzolonic reaction and finess of the GGBS filled and densify the aperture structure of the concrete, thus, led to the increase in the chloride penetration resistance.