Influence of granulated blast furnace slag on mechanical properties of foam concrete

This paper experimentally comparing the mechanical properties between ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and unground blast furnace slag (GBS) as a partial replacement for cement for the production of foam concrete. A total of 14 foam concrete mixes were prepared under a design density of 1,300 kg/m3, two different filler-to-binder ratios, and cement replacement levels of 30–70% of the weight of the binder. A soluble salt of polymeric sulfonates of organic compounds (PS-1) was added to the mixes, with GGBS and GBS replacements at a dosage varying from 0.2–2% of the total cementitious material. Compressive, flexural, and tensile strengths were investigated for up to 90 days. Results show that foam concrete with superior quality as compared with that of the control mix can be produced by using GBS. Results show that 30% GBS foam concrete mix exhibited higher compressive, flexural, and splitting tensile strengths than the control mix of GBS at all ages for both filler-to-binder ratios