Effect of cupola slag as a coarse aggregate on compressive strength of concrete

Abstract

The global exponential rise in natural resource consumption poses a serious problem, which is causing a shortage of these resources. As a result, research towards the efficient management and finding alternatives of conventional resources is gaining more importance. Investigating the utilization of industrial by-products in the construction industry can be considered as a potential solution in reducing the consumption of conventional construction materials. Steel slag is an industrial by-product which is generated in huge amount and disposed in the environment as a waste material. Various types of steel slag are produced depending on the furnace type used in the industry. Cupola slag is one such type of steel slag produced from cupola furnace,in the process of manufacturing cast iron. The potential of cupola slag as a partial replacement of coarse aggregate was studied in this paper. Physical and chemical characteristics of cupola slag were studied. The preliminary properties of cupola slag were found to be similar to the natural aggregates and could be incorporated into the concrete. The aim of the study is to observe the effect of the percentage increment of cupola slag on concrete. The slag percentage was changed in each mix design while maintaining other design parameters constant. The coarse aggregate is partially replaced by 30%, 35%, 40% and 50% with cupola slag without replacing the natural sand. All the mix proportions of designed concrete were studied for compressive strength at the age of 7 days and 28 days. The maximum compressive strength of 66.36 MPa was observed for 30% substitution on 28th day. It was found that, further increase in substitution causes a decrease in strength. The results indicate that cupola slag can be used in concrete efficiently up to 30% and can provide a promising solution for reducing industrial waste landfill, ensuring a sustainable environment.