Study of the effect of pozzolanic Portland cement-basic oxygen furnace slag on the mechanical properties of roller compacted concrete

ABSTRACT

Due to the presence of free lime (FL) in slag and its lack of reaction with concrete components, concrete containing slag reduces strength. Pozzolanic Portland cement (PPC) in the presence of moisture and normal heat during chemical reactions with lime (calcium hydroxide) generates stable calcium silicates that have adhesion properties. By using PPC instead of Portland cement type I in roller compacted concrete (RCC) containing basic oxygen furnace slag (BOFS), it is possible to determine the mechanical properties of RCC due to the reaction between the FL in BOFS and PPC. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of PPC on the mechanical properties of RCC containing BOFS. For this purpose, specimens are made with various cement content values (225-400 kg/m3), various BOFS content values (0-50%) and with the optimum moisture. The properties examined in this paper are compressive strength, indirect tensile strength, and static modulus of elasticity tests. The results show that the use of PPC is effective in compensating the negative impact of using BOFS and providing the minimum specified mechanical properties. Also, the proportion of consumption of PPC with BOFS value is determined for the possibility of maximum reaction between FL and pozzolan in cement.

KEYWORDS:

• BOF slag
• free lime
• greenhouse gas
• mix design
• soil compaction
• optimum moisture

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).