Assessment of the Combined Effect of Silica Fume, Fly Ash, and Steel Slag on the Mechanical Behavior of Concrete

Abstract

Every ton of cement produced emits half a ton of carbon dioxide, so there is an immediate need to limit cement use. Cementitious materials such as fly ash, silica fume, and steel slag can be substituted for cement in making concrete more rigid and stronger. This research work has been done to analyze the change in compressive strength in concrete, reducing the use of cement and coarse aggregate, in the case of varying percentages of cement replacement circumstances. To get this job done, there’s been conducted a variety of laboratory tests changing the partial cement replacement proportions with silica fume and fly ash and partial aggregate replacement with steel slag in the concrete mix. The test result showed that 15% silica fume, 10% fly ash, and 30% steel slag replacing proportion withstand more compressive load than the normal cement concrete mixture. The SEM test also supports the compressive strength test result by showing the internal bonding between the materials in the replaced binder-aggregate specimens. On the other hand, the flexural strength test came out with the best proportion of 15% cement replacement with fly ash and silica fume along with 10% coarse aggregate replacement with steel slag. The XRD patterns of the materials used also enumerate the standardization and testing procedures. The usage of sustainable cementitious materials like fly ash, silica fume, and steel slag incorporates the motivation behind reducing the industrial byproducts/wastes generated in such an amount that hampers our mother nature. The overall representation of this research will emancipate the initiatives taken toward greener and more sustainable construction.