Hydration Characteristics and Microstructure of Alkali-Activated Slag Concrete: A Review

Alkali-activated slag concrete (AASC) is a new green building material. The amount of CO_(2) produced by AASC is 1/5th of that produced by ordinary Portland cement concrete (OPCC). In addition, AASC promotes the reuse of slag and other wastes and saves resources. Furthermore, the scope of use of slag has been expanded. The progress of the research on the hydration characteristics, microstructure, interfacial transition zone, and pore structure of AASC based on the relevant literatures was analyzed and summarized in this study. The influences of the slag composition, the type and dosage of the alkali activator, and the curing conditions on the hydration characteristics and the microstructure of the AASC were discussed. Relatively few research results on the microstructure of AASC are available, and the relevant conclusions are not completely consistent. Moreover, there are many constraints on the development of AASC (e.g., complex composition of raw materials of slag, large shrinkage deformation, and low fluidity). Therefore, further research is required.

Effect of Recycled Aggregate and Slag as Substitutes for Natural Aggregate and Cement on the Properties of Concrete:A Review

Using recycled aggregate(RA)and slag instead of natural aggregate(NA)and cement can reduce greenhouse gas emissions(GHGE)and achieve effective waste recovery.In recent years,RA has been widely used to replace NA in concrete.Every year,several researchers conduct investigations on the mechanical performance and durability of recycled aggregate concrete(RAC).Due to the loose and porous material properties of RA,the mechanical properties and durability of RAC,such as strength,carbonation resistance,permeability resistance and chloride ion penetration resistance,are greatly reduced compared with natural aggregate concrete.In contrast,concrete containing slag instead of NA and cement generally improved the strength of concrete and reduced the internal porosity of materials.Herein,we discuss the effects of RA and slag on the workability,compressive strength,splitting tensile strength,ultrasonic pulse velocity(UPV)value,and elastic modulus of concrete.The relationships between the compressive strength and the splitting tensile strength,UPV value,and elastic modulus are discussed,and the optimal substitution method is proposed.In addition,various equations for calculating the compressive strength of concrete based on performance factors related to the compressive strength are summarized.

Influence of Carbonation on Fatigue of Concrete with High Volume of Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag

The effect of carbonation on fatigue performance of ground granulated blast-furnace slag concrete was investigated. Based on the static compression tests of carbonated GGBS-concrete, the correlation between carbonation depth and compressive strength was analyzed and an equation between carbonation depth and compressive strength was put forward. Meanwhile, fatigue S-N curves of various carbonation depths were fitted, and the infl uence of carbonation on fatigue life and strength was studied. Carbonation has a dual effect on the fatigue behavior of GGBS-concrete. A fatigue equation based on the depth of carbonation was established. Also, the probabilistic distribution of fatigue life of carbonated concrete at a given stress level was modeled by the two-parameter Weibull distribution.

Effects of Steel Slag Powder on Workability and Durability of Concrete

The workability and durability of a type of sustainable concrete made with steel slag powder were investigated. The hydrated products of cement paste with ground granulated blast furnace slag（GGBFS） alone or with a combined admixture of GGBFS-steel slag powder were investigated by X-ray diffraction（XRD）. Furthermore, the mechanism of chemically activated steel slag powder was also studied. The experimental results showed that when steel slag powder was added to concrete, the slumps through the same time were lower. The initial and fi nal setting times were slightly retarded. The dry shrinkages were lower, and the abrasion resistance was better. The chemically activated steel slag powder could improve compressive strengths, resistance to chloride permeation and water permeation, as well as carbonization resistance. XRD patterns indicated that the activators enhanced the formation of calcium silicate hydrate（C-S-H） gel and ettringite（AFt）. This research contributes to sustainable disposal of wastes and has the potential to provide several important environmental benefi ts.

Experimental Study on the Expansion Behavior of Full Aggregate Steel Slag Concrete

To improve the utilization rate of steel slag,this paper investigates the expansion behavior of Full Aggregate Steel Slag Concrete(FASSC).Orthogonal experiment was performed to analyze the effects of sand ratio,water-cement ratio,steel slag sand content,replacement particle size of steel slag sand,coarse steel slag content,and replacement particle size of coarse steel slag on the expansion rate of FASSC.Test results demonstrated that the expansion rate of FASSC decreased with a gradual increase in the replacement particle size of steel slag sand or the coarse steel slag content.With a gradual increase in the water-cement ratio or the steel slag sand content,the expansion rate of FASSC first increased and then decreased.As the sand ratio increased,the expansion rate of FASSC first decreased and then increased.Among these,the steel slag sand content and the replacement particle size of steel slag sand significantly affected the expansion rate of FASSC.The mix proportions of SSC for self-stressing CFST and shrinkage compensating SSC were suggested according to the experimental research.Additionally,a formula for approximately predicting the expansion rate of FASSC was proposed based on the single factor weighted fitting.

Properties and Mechanism on Flexural Fatigue of Polypropylene Fiber Reinforced Concrete Containing Slag

Properties and mechanism were investigated on flexural fatigue of concrete containing polypropylene fibers and ground granulated blast furnace slag（GGBFS）.Four polypropylene fibers’volume fractions and five slag proportions were considered.An experiment was conducted to obtain the fatigue lives at three stress levels in 20 Hz frequency and at a constant stress level of 0.59 in four frequency respectively.Mechanism and evaluation were investigated based on the experimental data.Fatigue life span models were established.The results show that the addition of polypropylene fibers improves the flexural fatigue cumulative strength and fatigue life span.It is proposed that the slag particles and hydrated products improve Interfacial Transition Zone（ITZ）structure and benefit flexural fatigue performance.A composite reinforce effect is found with the incorporation of slag and polypropylene fibers.The optimum mixture contents 55%slag with 0.6%polypropylene fiber for the cumulative fatigue stress.Fatigue properties are decreased as the stress level increasing,the higher frequency reduces the fatigue strength more than lower frequency at a constant stress level.

Study on the treatment and the utilization of the Baosteel casting residue and the new grid engineering technology

This study summarizes some serious disharmonious problems that ubiquitously exist in the casting residue recycling of steel plants, such as large land occupation, low operational efficiency, hidden hazards, huge resource and energy consumption, serious environmental pollution and so on. It analyzes the necessity of the on-line innovation and recycling based on the present situation of Baosteel. It states the innovation of the new grid technology and the achievements of its integrated application at Baosteel. It also summarizes and elaborates some green technology features of the treatment and the utilization of the Baosteel casting residue and the new grid technology, such as safety,energy-saving and environmental protection. In addition,it lays out the prospects for the development and application of the technology.