Sustainable Application of Pyrolytic Oxygen Furnace Slag in Cement-Stabilized Macadam: Volume Stability, Mechanical Properties, and Environmental Impact

Abstract

As an industrial waste, basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag is an ideal substitute for natural rubble and sand. However, its potential instability of volume restricts the application of the BOF slag in engineering. This study aims at investigating the volume stability and mechanical properties of BOF slag and its application as an aggregate in cement-stabilized macadam. As part of this research, the physicochemical properties, especially the volume stability, of two types of BOF slags and andesite were first studied. Then, mechanical properties, volume stability, and an environment analysis are used to evaluate the application of pyrolytic BOF slag in cement-stabilized macadam. The experimental results show that different types of BOF slags have similar thermal expansion coefficients, which are higher than andesite. The free CaO content of pyrolytic BOF slag is much lower than that of ordinary BOF slag and the volume expansion of pyrolytic BOF slag is less than 0.5%. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of cement-stabilized macadam using pyrolytic BOF slag is about 30% higher than that of andesite. Although the water loss rate is higher than a natural aggregate, dry shrinkage of pyrolytic BOF slag cement-stabilized macadam is about 30–50% less than that of a natural aggregate. Meanwhile, its shrinking speed is also slower than that of a natural aggregate. The micro-expansion properties of pyrolytic BOF slag could effectively partially offset the shrinkage characteristics of cement-stabilized macadam. Finally, the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) test results indicated that the metal leaching concentration meets the Chinese environmental standards. This study provides a direction for the large-scale and effective sustainable application of pyrolytic BOF slag.