Durability of self-compacting concrete containing waste bottle glass and granulated slag

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental study to study the effect of two mineral additives to limestone filler (LF) on the strength and durability of self-compacting concrete. These are glass powder (GP) from the recovery of glass bottles of the same color and the granulated slag of blast furnaces (GS), a by-product of the steel industry of the El-Hadjar complex of the Annaba region (eastern Algeria). Two series of concrete mixes were prepared with two different resistance classes. Self-compacting concrete (SCC) and self-compacting high-performance concrete (SCHPC) were evaluated on the basis of mechanical resistance at different times, capillary water absorption, permeability to oxygen, water-accessible porosity, chloride migration, accelerated carbonation and ammonium nitrate leaching. The results of the tests showed that the incorporation of GP and GS improves the mechanical strength of concretes and reduces capillary water absorption, chloride ion diffusion, gas permeability and leaching kinetics compared to LF. However, the GP does not appear to improve the strength of concrete to carbonation, unlike the GS, which has not carbonated. The study also highlighted the enhanced effect of the combination of silica fume (SF), and in particular with the LF and the GP, for their best resistance with the action of carbon dioxide.