Investigating the influence of copper slag on the mechanical behaviour of concrete

Abstract

The current study is aimed at assessing the mechanical strength of concrete with copper slag as alternative filler instead of river sand. Based on observations it was concluded that the substitution of sand with copper slag up to 40% exhibited better results than the control concrete. However, mixes with very high content of copper slag (beyond 60%) showed lesser performance when compared to the control concrete. M40 grade concrete with a w/c ratio of 0.4 is used. For the purpose of experimental investigation ten mixes were formulated by replacing sand with varying content of copper slag. Copper slag replaces river sand in percentages of 0, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 by weight. Test results on workability indicated an increasing trend with increase in the content of copper slag in concrete. When 40% copper slag was used in concrete, the compression strength, split tensile strength and flexural strength showed the highest values when compared to the other mixes. With higher replacement levels of sand with copper slag, the concrete displayed lesser strength than the standard mix. Introducing copper slag enhances the workability of the concrete mix and also helps in the betterment of the concrete produced by improving its strength parameters. With natural river sand getting scarce day by day, utilising industrial wastes such as copper slag in concrete not only eliminates the difficulties of disposal but also simultaneously aids in the conservation of natural resources and sustainable development.