Reuse of coal mining waste to lengthen the service life of cementitious matrices

Abstract

A chloride-induced accelerated corrosion test was conducted on steel bars embedded in mortar specimens prepared with thermally activated coal mining waste (ACMW). ACMW was observed to prompt two opposite effects: a delay in chloride ion penetration and a reduction in the critical chloride content needed to initiate corrosion. Service life predictions based on the findings revealed that adding 20% or 50% ACMW to cement improved reinforcement corrosion resistance. Optimal results were observed for 20% replacement, in which the mean reinforcement section loss was 21% lower than in OPC.