Sulfuric acid resistance of concrete containing coal waste as a partial substitute for fine and coarse aggregates

Abstract

The vulnerability of concrete to sulfuric acid attack requires much attention in both design and maintenance. Taking the waste management approach into account, this study utilized coal waste (CW) as a partial replacement for fine and coarse aggregates. The use of CW as aggregate replacement materials in concrete is a novel topic. Regarding the literature, concrete mixtures with CW aggregates showed relatively similar strength properties to conventional concrete. However, the effects of aggressive environments on the concrete containing CW aggregate have not been addressed. Here, the effects of sulfuric acid attack on the key properties, such as split tensile strength (STS), compressive strength (CS), weight loss, and ultrasonic wave velocity (UWV), were thoroughly assessed. Moreover, scanning electron microscope (SEM) images have been captured to discern the morphology changes. Various CW dosages (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by weight of dry aggregates) were used. The results revealed that higher CW contents led to more water absorption and stiffer mixtures with lower workability. The weight loss of the samples showed an increasing trend with increasing CW contents. The split tensile strength and compressive strength of samples without sulfuric acid attack were enhanced by using 5% and 10% CW. After exposure to the sulfuric acid solution, the strength of CW-concrete samples was continuously decreased by increasing CW contents. The UWV values were decreased by increasing CW contents, which induce more porosity and lower integrity in concrete elements. SEM images show that the use of CW led to the formation of Ca (OH)2 crystals that were not wet, needles of ettringite, and gypsum, which severely hurt the properties of permeability, durability, and strength.