IJCE, Volume 3, Issue 2 (2016)
EFFECT OF STEEL SLAG IN CONCRETE
1
Samdish Abrol, 2Puneet sharma, 3Nitin Verma, 4 Ismitpal Singh
1, 2, 3,4
Civil Engineering Department, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Punjab, India
1
Samdish2007@gmail.com
Abstract: normal aggregates are gradually more limited
plus their manufacture and delivery is extra rigid. Steel
slag at present utilized as aggregate in hot mix asphalt
plane applications, except there is a necessity for some
supplementary job to resolve the probability of utilizing
this engineering by-product extra intelligently as a
substitution for similarly fine plus coarse aggregates in a
conservative concrete mixture. The most important aim of
this study was to estimate the toughness of concrete
completed with steel slag aggregates. This study presents
effect of investigational study conceded out to assess
effects of replacing aggregate (fine) by means of that of
slag on a variety of concrete assets. Within the current
study M25 grade of concrete by means of steel slag
assorted in place of fine aggregates in set proportions was
used plus the compressive strength, flexural strength in
addition to tensile strength were determined adopting
conventional examination process. The present work aims
at developing a material that can replace the conventional
aggregate in concrete work using the waste product of steel
industry like steel slag, ground granulated blast furnace
slag, and fly ash. Quality assessment of eco friendly
concrete that is made out of cement, steel slag as coarse
aggregate, steel slag as fine aggregate and some quantity of
fly ash. This will solve the problem of waste disposal side
by side preserving our natural resources. The objective of
the experiment is to investigate the properties such as
compressive strength, flexural strength, split tensile
strength of concrete of the M-25 grade of concrete having
mix proportion 1:1:2 with water cement ratio 0.50 and
replacing sand with steel Slag in ratio of 10%, 15%, and
20% by weight of sand. The result data obtained will be
analyzed and compared with a control specimen of 0%
steel Slag or plain M-25 concrete for effective study of
variation of compressive strength, Flexural Strength and
split tensile strength of Concrete with respect to the change
in steel Slag content.
I. INTRODUCTION
Steel slag, which is considered as the strong waste poison,
can be utilized for street development, clinker crude
materials, filling materials, and so on. In this work, Steel
slag is utilized as swap for sand, which is additionally a
noteworthy part in solid blend.[1] Steel slag is a result
from either the transformation of iron to steel in an
essential oxygen furnace, or the dissolving of scrap to
make steel in an electric arc heater.[2] Steel is
fundamentally a composite of iron and carbon containing
under 2% carbon and 1% manganese and little measures of
Silicon, Phosphorus, Sulfur and Oxygen. Steel is the
world's most essential constituent in structural designing
development. Iron slag aggregate could be viably used as
coarse as coarse and fine aggregate in every single solid
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application either as incomplete or full substitutions of
typical coarse and regular fine aggregate[3]. In Civil
Engineering, utilization of steel is seen all over the place,
for example, steel bars, edges, channels, curves, trusses,
steel tanks and some more. Steel Furnace Slag is delivered
in Basic Oxygen Furnace or in Electric Arc Furnace. Hot
iron and/or scrap metal are the essential metals to make
steel in every procedure. Lime is infused to go about as a
fluxing operator. The slag happens as a liquid fluid softens
and is a mind boggling arrangement of silicates and oxides
that cements after cooling. For all intents and purposes all
steel is presently made in incorporated steel plants utilizing
an adaptation of the essential oxygen process or in forte
steel plants (smaller than usual factories) utilize an electric
circular segment heater process. For the vast majority of
part they have been a waste item however can be utilized
as structural designing material. The silica fume and slag
concretes displayed low pene-trability to chloride particles,
with the estimation of charge passed being under 1000
coulombs. All control cements had the estimation of
charge passed > 1000 coulombs, paying little heed to the
water-concrete proportion (w/c). [4] The possibility of our
undertaking is to use steel Slag in the development
purposes which generally would have been a waste item.
The substance makes appealing and amazing exhibit when
sprinkled on a white card. Steel slag, a by-result of steel
making, is created amid the partition of the liquid steel
from debasements in steel-production furnaces. The slag
happens as a liquid fluid liquefy and is an intricate
arrangement of silicates and oxides that sets after cooling.
Steel Furnace Slag or just Steel Slag is created in a furnace
as its name proposes. It really is delivered in two sorts of
furnaces to be specific BOF and EAF. BOF stand for Basic
Oxygen Furnace though EAF remains for Electric Arc
Furnace. The essential metals utilized for the making of
steel slag are hot iron and scrap metal. The segments of
steel slag are FeO, CaO, SiO2. Due to its water powered
property and the vast bearing limit it can give, steelmaking
slag is utilized as a street base course material. With high
molecule thickness and hardness, this slag has prevalent
wear resistance and consequently it is utilized as a
aggregate for asphalt concrete.
In addition, due to its high angle of shearing resistance,
high particle density, and large weight per unit volume, it
is also used as a material for civil engineering works and as
a ground improvement material (i.e., material for sand
compaction piles).
In our detailed study we have hammered the spiral steel
waste into powdered form to be used in concrete mix so
that it can be homogeneously mixed with cement concrete.
Physical Properties:-
International Journal of Civil Engineering 1
Steel slag aggregates are highly angular in shape and have
rough surface texture. They have high bulk specific gravity
and moderate water absorption (less than 3 percent).

Physical Property Value

Specific Gravity 3.2-3.6
Unit Weight 1600 – 1920 kg/ m3
Absorption upto 3%

Chemical Properties:-
The chemical composition of slag is usually expressed in
terms of simple oxides calculated from elemental analysis
determined by x-ray fluorescence. Table lists the range of
compounds present in steel slag from a typical base oxygen
furnace. Virtually all steel slags fall within these chemical
ranges but not all steel slags are suitable as aggregates. Of
more importance is the mineralogical form of the slag,
IV. ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF
which is highly dependent on the rate of slag cooling in the
steel-making process. As a rule, a few components are
TEST RESULTS
influencing physical and compound properties of steel
Present research contains the results of test conducted
slag. These variables include: Type of steel furnace, steel
on Plain and Steel slag containing concrete. The cubes,
making plant and steel slag processing.[5]
cylinders and beams are tested for compressive strength,
Uses of Steel Slag in Civil Engineering:- flexural strength and split tensile strength.
 Steel slag instead of natural aggregates avoids the
natural footprint of quarrying and also prevents COMPRESSIVE STENGTH VALUES:
deforestation.
 When used in asphalt layer in the laying of roads, steel Constituents Composition(%)
slag offers a better non-skid-able surface. CaO 40-52
 Steel slag can be used as soil neutralizer for highly SiO2 10-19
acidic soils. FeO 10-40
 Steel slag has longer life span and durability than the
MnO 5-8
natural aggregates.
Al2O3 1-3
 Steel slag is widely used all over the world in landfills
which is good sign of economic progression as well. P2O5 0.5-1
S <0.1
Metallic Fe 0.5-10
II. SCOPE OF PRESENT INVESTIGATION Cube Replacement Strength
The present investigation has the following scope:
no. by steel slag
(in N/mm^2)
I. Laboratory testing of cement, sand, fine aggregate and
coarse aggregate.
II. Proportioning of Steel Slag concrete mix 7 days
III. Casting of concrete cube for compressive strength for 1. 0% 16.98
testing at 7-days and 14-days and 28-days.
IV. Casting of concrete beams for flexural strength for 2. 10% 17.75
testing at 7-days and 14-days and 28-days.
V. Casting of concrete cylinders for split tensile strength 3. 20% 24.65
for testing at 7-days and 14-days and 28-days. 4. 30% 22.38

III. EXPERIMENT PROGRAM 14 days

This deals with the details of the experimental program
5. 0% 20.01
during the course of this investigation. An experimental
program was planned for investigating the effect of steel 6. 10% 20.52
slag on the properties of concrete, when a part of sand is
replaced by steel slag in different percentage i.e. 0%, 10%, 7. 20% 26.07
20% and 30% of M25 concrete mix.
8. 30% 19.31
28 days
9. 0% 25.32

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 10. 10% 25.36
11. 20% 32.63
12. 30% 23.67

Combined graph for the above percentages at (7, 14

and 28 days)

(x-axis represents strength in N/mm^2 & y-axis represents days)

Split Tensile Strength Values:-

S. % 7days 14days 28days
No of steel slag Split Split Split
(x-axis represents strength in N/mm2 & y-axis represents percentage steel . replacement Tensile Tensile Tensile
slag replacement)
with sand Strength Strength Strength
 The study done on replacement of sand with steel (N/mm2) (N/mm2) (N/mm2)
slag shows that the strength of concrete mix can
be increased by adding upto 20 % of steel slag in
concrete by replacing it with sand. This study 1. 0% 1.83 1.98 2.23
shows us a way to reuse the iron waste from iron
industries which cannot be otherwise disposed off
and it will also increase the strength of concrete if 2. 10% 1.96 2.16 2.32
added in calculated amount.
 On the basis of the results of compression test, we
3. 15% 2.14 2.31 2.43
have performed flexural test and split tensile test
with the ratios of 0%, 10%, 15%, 20%. As the
compression strength was highest at 20%
4. 20% 2.27 2.46 2.96
replacement.

Flexural Strength Values:-

Sr % 7days 14days 28days Combined graph for the above percentages at (7, 14
No. of steel slag Flexural Flexural Flexural and 28 days)
replacement Strengt Strengt Strength
with sand h h(N/mm (N/mm2)
(N/mm2) 2
)

1. 0% 2.41 3.43 4.67

2. 10% 2.54 3.62 4.72

(x-axis represents strength in N/mm2 & y-axis represents percentage
3. 15% 2.61 3.76 4.77 replacement)

V. SUMMARY
4. 20% 2.69 3.83 4.94 Sample of plain concrete and concrete with replacement of
sand with steel slag at different level of 0%, 10%, 15%,
20% and 30% were tested for compressive strength,
flexural strength and split tensile strength. Test was
performed at the ages of 7-days, 14-days and 28-days. It
Combined graph for the above percentages at (7, 14 was observed that with the increase in the steel slag in
and 28 days) concrete, compressive strength of concrete at that the age
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of 28-days with replacement level of 20% was more than Normal Aggregate (Coarse) in Concrete” International
of plain concrete at the age of 28-days of M25 Concrete Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN (Online): 2319-
mix, after that it keeps decreasing. Results of Investigation 7064 Impact Factor (2012): 3.358 Volume 3 Issue 10,
indicate that compressive strength increases up to 20% October 2014.
replacement. 4. P. Gu, J. J. Beaudoin, M. H. Zhang, and V. M. Malhotra
“Performance of Reinforcing Steel in Concrete Containing
VI. CONCLUSIONS Silica Fume and Blast-Furnace Slag Ponded with Sodium-
Chloride Solution” Materials Journal Volume: 97 Issue: 3
The main aim of this research was to study the behaviour
254-262
of concrete and changes in the properties of concrete with
5. Sultan A. Tarawneh, Emhaidy S. Gharaibeh and Falah M.
steel slag aggregates by replacing the use of natural
Saraireh “ Effect Of Using Steel Slag Aggregate On
aggregates. Steel slag is a by-product and using it as Mechanical Properties Of Concrete” American Journal of
aggregates in concrete might prove to be an economical Applied Sciences 11 (5): 700-706, 2014 ISSN: 1546-9239
and environmentally friendly solution. The demand for ©2014
aggregates is increasing rapidly and so as the demand of 6. IS 456-2000 - Plain and reinforced concrete code of practice :
concrete. Thus, it is becoming more important to find BIS, New Delhi.
suitable alternatives for aggregates in the future. A through 7. Concrete Technology by M L Ghambir.
literature review was conducted to study and investigate 8. https://www.bluescopesteel.com
the properties of steel slag aggregates. The results showed 9. www.sciencedirect.com/
that it has properties similar to natural aggregates and it 10. www.engineeringcivil.com
would not cause any harm if incorporated into concrete. A 11. www.diydoctor.org.uk
comparison was made between concrete having natural 12. www.wickes.co.uk
coarse aggregates and concrete with various percentages of 13. https://www.uptubuzz.in
steel slag aggregates replaced by weight. The results of this 14. www.concretenetwork.com
research were encouraging, since they show that using 15. www.buildingresearch.com
steel slag as fine aggregates in concrete has no negative
16. www.acivilengineer.com
effects on the short term properties of hardened concrete.
17. theconstructor.org
Hence, after performing all the tests and analyzing the
18. www.acivilengineer.com
results, the following conclusions can be derived:
1. The optimum value of compressive strength can be
achieved by 20% replacement of steel slag.

2. The optimum value of flexural strength can be achieved

by 20% replacement of steel slag.

3. The optimum value of split tensile strength can be

achieved by 20% replacement of steel slag.

FUTURE SCOPE OF STUDY

The present study was undertaken to study the limited
aspects of steel slag concrete, However the future studies
may be planned to cover the following aspect;
1. Chemical analysis/ microscopic study of steel slag
concrete to study its microstructure.
2. Effects of steel slag on the electrochemical behavior of
steel used in steel slag concrete.
4. Effect of steel slag replacement on the abrasion
resistance of concrete with higher aggregates size.
5. Optimization of steel slag content to achieve a strength
equivalent to that of 28 days strength at high volume
replacement level.

REFERENCES
1. Venkata Kiranmayi Kodali, P. Krishna Prasanna “steel slag as
a substitute for fine aggregate in high strength concrete”
International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology
Vol. 3 - Issue 10 (October - 2014) e-ISSN: 2278-0181
2. Shi, C. (2004). "Steel Slag—Its Production, Processing,
Characteristics, and Cementitious Properties." J. Mater. Civ.
Eng., 10.1061/(ASCE)0899-1561(2004)16:3(230), 230-236.
3. Khalid Raza1, Apoorv Singh, R. D. Patel “Strength Analysis
of Concrete by Using Iron Slag as a Partial Replacement of

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