Properties of concrete with the addition of copper slag aggregate
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1
University of Zielona Góra
2
West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin
3
General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA) Branch in Szczecin
Publication date: 2021-01-18
Cement Wapno Beton 25(5) 367-375 (2020)
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ABSTRACT
Recently, the demand for various types of aggregates in Poland has been very significant. The resources of natural aggregates are shrinking and their exploitation has a large environmental impact. Recycled and artificial aggregates, including copper slag aggregates, are therefore increasingly used in road and railway construction as well as in general construction works. The paper presents the results of experimental research concerning the possibility of using copper slag aggregates for the production of structural concretes which, apart from their adequate compressive strength, were resistant to atmospheric conditions and thus could be used in bridges, roads, or other objects exposed to such special conditions. In the conducted research, the physical and mechanical characteristics of the materials included in the concrete were assessed, but the main emphasis was put on the research on the influence of the quantity of copper slag aggregates on the basic properties of concrete such as: compressive strength, water absorption, and freeze-thaw durability. The results of the research showed that copper aggregate can successfully replace natural aggregate in cement concretes. The copper slag aggregate showed better properties than the granite aggregate used in the reference concrete. All the concretes tested after 28 days met the concrete strength requirements. For the concretes with a copper slag aggregate content of 25% and 50% there was a few percent increase in compressive strength. On the other hand, for the concretes with 75% and 100% of the copper slag aggregate, compression strength drops of up to 14% were recorded. The water absorption of the reference concrete was worse than that of all the concretes containing copper slag aggregates. Both the reference concrete and all the concretes with copper slag aggregate meet the requirements for freeze-thaw durability grade F150. Concretes with copper slag aggregate subjected to 150 freezing and thawing cycles exhibit a compression strength drop of up to 4%.