Sustainable Use of Electric Arc Furnace Slag as a Fine Aggregate Replacement for Concrete

This research provides empirical insights into the mechanical properties of concrete made with fine electric arc furnace slag aggregates. The utilization of fine electric arc furnace slag as aggregates in concrete production could be a catalyst in addressing the current unsustainable extraction rates of the natural non-renewable resources thereby promoting circularity in the economy and achievement of sustainable developmental goals. Using four mix designs with varying percentages of Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) slag (0%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) as fine aggregates; a decrease in the compressive strength values compared to the control mix for concrete mixes containing 10% and 15% EAF slag of fine aggregates, but an increase in the compressive strength at 20% replacement. However, a steady decrease in the tensile strength value for all percentages of EAF slag replacement was noted. It was deduced that, all American Concrete Institute (ACI) 318, Eurocode (EC) 2, and Australian Standard (AS) 3600 standard design codes for normal concrete overestimate the 7-day and 28-day splitting tensile strengths of EAF slag concrete. Moreover, the comparison with related literature shows that EAF slag performs with a unique behaviour compared to other alternative materials which generally hinders both the compressive and tensile strengths of concrete.