Performance of concrete containing Nigerian electric arc furnace steel slag aggregate towards sustainable production

Production of concrete's constituent materials has led to the depletion of the environment and natural resources. This experimental study is, therefore, geared towards the sustainable production of concrete that involves the use of a large volume of industrial waste in concrete. Nigerian electric arc furnace steel slag (EAFS) as industrial waste was used as coarse aggregate in concrete for the replacement of natural aggregate. Three sizes of 5/10, 5/14 and 5/19 mm of coarse aggregate at EAFS content of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% were considered. The EAFS aggregate morphology was characterised with X-ray computed tomography. Tests carried out on the EAFS concrete include compressive and split tensile tests, water absorption, initial surface absorption and sorptivity. Other properties evaluated include water penetration, porosity, permeability, and resistance to sulphate attack. Results show that it is possible to completely replace the natural coarse aggregates with bigger sized EAFS without significant detrimental effects on the concrete's mechanical and durability properties. Statistical analysis showed that increased curing of the concrete tends to nullify the negative effects of EAFS aggregates' size and content on the mechanical properties. The green performance analysis shows that EAFS coarse aggregate can be used to potentially produce a greener concrete containing about 30% volume of industrial waste with a cumulative 20% savings in energy, emission and cost.