Assessment of the Application of Lumpy Steel Slag as an Aggregate Replacement in Concrete

Abstract

Abstract. The need to protect the Earth's resources necessitates pro-ecological activities. One of the aspects of these activities is the rational management of post-production and post-consumer waste. One of the materials whose production significantly pollutes the natural environment is concrete. On the other hand, the analysis of the literature carried out in the work showed that it is a material that can absorb a significant amount of processed waste used as a substitute for cement or aggregate. These are polymer materials of various origins, residues from biomass combustion and, above all, steel slag, which has long been used in construction in various forms. One of the types of this material is lumpy steel slag, which has been used for years mainly in road construction as a replacement for crushed stone in the construction of the road base. The paper presents instrumental tests of the influence of the lump slag content used as a replacement for basalt aggregate on selected parameters of concrete (compressive strength, water absorption, volume density). The research showed that such a modification of the mixture composition does not significantly change the tested parameters. The lump slag can therefore be successfully used in the production of normal and heavy concrete.