Validation of industrial waste blast furnace slag and copper slag as replacement of cement and aggregates in concrete
摘要
The combined use of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and copper slag (CS) in concrete was investigated. Three mixes were assessed: a reference concrete and two blended-slag concretes with 50% cement replacement by GGBFS and 60–100% replacement of the medium aggregate by CS. Fresh-state was characterized by slump testing and absolute rheometry. Hardened performance was evaluated through compressive and flexural strength, density–porosity–water absorption, capillary suction, abrasion resistance, shrinkage, and carbonation resistance. The mixture containing 50% GGBFS and 60% CS achieved the best overall performance, reaching approximately 78 MPa at 90 days and showing the lowest porosity, water absorption and capillary suction. SEM–EDS and XRD revealed a compact matrix containing calcite, dolomite and hydrotalcite. Leaching results showed low trace-element release, while the preliminary carbon-footprint assessment indicated a 42.6% reduction compared with the reference concrete. These results support the controlled use of GGBFS and CS in durable, lower-impact concrete.