Influence of Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) Slag Aggregate Sizes on the Workability and Durability of Concrete

The construction industry has been identified as one of the largest consumer of nonrenewable resources. Meanwhile, the unused materials are continually disposed in landfills and dumpsites. As a result, adoption of industrial solid wastes for use as a construction material remains pertinent in the creation of a green environment. The present study focused on the influence of EAF steel slag aggregate (SSA) sizes on the workability and durability of concrete. Concrete mixes in 1:2:4 ratios of cement, sand and SSA; batched by weight, and a water cement ratio of 0.6 were considered. However, a control mix using normal aggregate (NA) was made in order to evaluate the variation in properties of the concretes. The study utilised SSA and NA sizes of ½ inch (12.7 mm, 3/8 inch (9.54 mm) and ¾ inch (19.05 mm) respectively. All testing were conducted under room temperature, adopting procedures recommended in BS standards. For all the aggregate sizes considered, SSA produced an appreciable 28 day compressive strength than the NA concrete. However, the NA concrete possess good workability than the SSA concrete