Utilization of steel slag waste as construction material: A review

Abstract

Rapid population growth, technological advancements in the industry, and the widespread use of new products and services have all contributed to a rapid increase in the quantity and toxicity of modern waste generated in recent decades. The growing environmental pressure to reduce waste and contamination has prompted an extensive study to examine all viable waste reduction and recycling options. Also, the depletion of locally accessible resources and the escalation of transport costs created the possibility for the investigation of cost-effective alternative materials in the construction sector. Although considerable effort has been done over a long period of time in the exploitation of industrial waste, ferrochrome slag has received surprisingly less investigation. The utilization of industrial waste as a partial replacement for raw materials in the construction sector saves precious landfill space and reduces the need for the mining of conventional raw materials. Steel slag is generated as a by-product in significant amounts during the process of producing steel using a submerged electric arc furnace. Steel slag has attracted the attention of researchers as a potential green and sustainable building material because of its unique chemical composition, physical qualities, and mechanical characteristics. This study presents a summary of recent developments in the utilization of steel slag in various construction activities. In addition to this, the review paper looks into the possibility of employing steel slag as aggregates and filler material in place of traditional natural aggregates in construction industries.