UTILIZATION OF STEEL SLAG

AGGREGATES IN RIGID PAVEMENT

CONSTRUCTION

Binod Kumar
Sr. Pr. Scientist, Rigid pavement Division
CSIR-CRRI, New Delhi

International Webinar on Utilization of Iron and Steel

Slag in Road Construction
24-25th April, 2020
Concrete Pavement - Basic Components
 FEATURES OF PAVEMENT QUALITY
CONCRETE (PQC)
• PQC layer acts both as main load bearing layer and wearing layer

• Compressive strength : 30 - 40 MPa

• Flexural Strength: 4 – 4.5 Mpa

• Slump: 20-25 mm(paver), 40-45 mm(manual)

• Normal Cement Content: 350 to 400 kg/m3

• Min. Cement Content: 360 kg/m3

• W/CM : 0.35 to 0.40

• Use of superplasticisers, air entrants etc.

• Use of GGBFS (up to 50 %) and Fly ash (up to 25%)

 FEATURES OF DRY LEAN CONCRETE (DLC)
• Provide a non-erodable, uniform and stable support to PQC slabs

• To provide a platform for construction machinery

• Support the edges of slabs at joint and help load transfer

• 7 Day compressive strength 10 MPa (MoRTH),

7MPa (IRC:15-2017)

• Max. Aggregate-Cement Ratio 14:1

12:1 with PPC or PSC

• Mini. Cementitious material 140 kg/m3

• GGBFS 25-50%, FA 15-30%

SPECIFICATIONS OF COARSE AGGREGATES
FOR PQC & DLC
• Clean, Hard, Strong, Dense, Non-Porous and Durable
Crushed Stone, No ASR and No Expansion

• Rough Textured and Cubical in Shape

• Soft, Flaky, Elongated, Very Angular not preferred

• Maximum Size – 31.5 mm for PQC, 26.5 mm for DLC

• Combined FI and EI not more than 35 %

• Water Absorption not more than 2 % for PQC, 3% for DLC,

if more then test soundness

• AIV not more than 30 %

SPECIFICATIONS OF FINE AGGREGATES
FOR PQC & DLC
 TYPICAL PROPERTIES OF STEEL SLAG
COARSE AGGREGATES
• Hard and strong (Moh’s hardness : 6-7, normal agg. 3-4)-OK

• Rough texture and vesicular with many non-connected voids-OK

• Good cubical shape - OK

• High abrasion resistance (15-25%) - OK

• High aggregate crushing value (12-25%) - OK

• High aggregate impact value (7-14 %) - OK

• High density (Sp. Gr. 2.9 to 3.6) - OK

• Water absorption less than 2 % (0.35 – 2.0 %) - OK

• Most of the physical properties are better than traditional agg.

TYPICAL PROPERTIES OF STEEL SLAG FINE
AGGREGATES
• Large variation in sp. gr with source (2.4 to 3.3)
greater metal recovery leads to reduced sp.gr.
EAF and BOF may have different values

• Large variation in water absorption/adsorption (3 – 14 %)

Weathered slag sand tend to have high WA

• Large variation in 150 micron passing fraction (3-30%)

• Large variation in 75 micron passing fraction (2-18%)

• Large variation in FM (2 - 3.84)

• BOF slag sand have significant amount of Calcite or Tufa

• High abrasion resistance (15-25%)

 CODAL PROVISIONS FOR STEEL SLAG
AGGREGATES IN CNCRETE

• IS : 383-2016 (Both Coarse and Fine Aggregate)

Plain : 25 %
RCC : Nil
Lean (<M15) : 100 %

Provided expansion is less than 2% and pieces of aggregates

having free lime should not be more than 1 in 20

• IRC : 15-2017
Not permitted in PQC
30 % max. in DLC as fine aggregate only
PRESENCE OF CALCITE (TUFA) IN BOF
CA &FA
CALCITE (TUFA) FLOATS ON TOP

BOF Slag Sand

 STEEL AGGREGATES IMPROVES
CONCRETE STRENGTH

• Rough texture and

vesicularity improve bond
and adhesion with cement
paste and strengthen the
transition zone

• It can compensate partly

for the strength reduction
due to increased water
demand because of high
WA of slag sand
 TYPICAL STRENGTH VALUES

Control 100 % Slag 100 % Slag

Mix (No water (With water
Adjustment) Adjustment)

Compaction 0.88 0.79 0.87

Factor
7 D Compr., MPa 34 37 32
28 D Compr., 46 51 49
MPa
7 D Flex., MPa 4.7 5.0 4.6
28 D Flex., MPa 6.1 6.8 6.2
 HARDNESS AND ABRASION RESISTANCE
IMPROVE SKID RESISTANCE

• Normally skid resistance

is provided by texture
created in mortar layer

•Better skid resistance in

special conditions like at
round- abouts, toll plazas,
heavy vehicle test tracks
etc.

• Better for exposed

aggregate concrete, no
polishing
 HIGH CRUSHING AND HARDNESS VALUE
IMPROVE JOINT PERFORMANCE

• Aggregate interlocking
in crack under saw cut
help load transfer across
joint

• Crushing of aggregates
with time reduces it

• Hard steel aggregates

will provide durable
interlocking
PROBLEMS EXPECTED WITH STEEL SLAG
AGGREGATE CONCRETE
 HIGH DENSITY OF CONCRETE

• Density of concrete in
normal mix : 2440 kg/m3

• In slag concrete : 2736

kg/m3

• Transportation cost may

be 10-15 % higher
 HARD AGGREGATES HARD TO CUT

Saw cutting trough hard

steel aggregates may
consume a bit more
diamond blades and time
TUFA FORMATION MAY CLOG DRAINAGE LAYER

• Tufa may clog GSB

drainage layer

• Not as critical an issue in

RP as in FP

• Slag fine aggregate

contains high amount of
Tufa, so to be avoided

• Slag coarse aggregates may

be used with caution
EXPENSIVE NATURE OF STEEL AGGREGTAES

• Some part of the lime and dolomite added in BOF as

flux to remove impurities remains in unbounded or free
form

• Free lime and magnesium reacts with water to produce

hydroxides with expensive properties due the difference in
sp. gravity (3.4 and 2.4), 40% increase in volume

• It is apprehended that expansion of hydrated lime may

cause aggregate and surrounding matrix to crack
 HOW PROBABLE IS THE CRACKING OF
CONCRETE DUE TO EXPANSION ?
• Surface pockets of free lime on un-weathered or
weathered aggregates will not crack in fresh concrete upto
final setting time (first 8-10 hours)

• Between final setting time and 7 Days, there seems to be

some possibility of cracking if hydration of surface free
lime takes place in that period

• At around 7 days PQC mixes may develop tensile

strength around 2.5 MPa which increases to beyond
4 MPa at 28 days which may not be overcome by the
localized expansion of free lime pocket
 HOW PROBABLE IS THE CRACKING OF
CONCRETE DUE TO EXPANSION ?
• Cracking in concrete pavement due to aggregate
expansion are observed in weak and porous aggregates in
freezing and thawing environment. It is called ‘D’ cracking
and happens after thousands of FT cycles in many years

• PQC (M40 Grade) is practically impermeable concrete.

No appreciable amount of water can enter into it. More
over aggregates remains in a constrained matrix
surrounded by strong cement paste.

• No reliable field data is available to suggest that expansion

of steel aggregate has lead to the cracking of concrete
pavement.
 HOW PROBABLE IS THE CRACKING OF
CONCRETE DUE TO EXPANSION ?
• Most of the data available relates to laboratory study of
expensive behavior of aggregates and not that of concrete.

• Great caution should be exercised before relating the

cracking of concrete pavement to steel slag aggregates, if
used.

• So, cracking of concrete made with slag aggregates

containing free lime might be a perception only unless it is
supported by laboratory and field performance data.
 CONCLUSIONS
• Mechanical properties of steel slag aggregates may improve
the strength of concrete

• Joint performance and skid resistance may be improved

• Cracking potential of concrete pavement constructed with

steel slag aggregate seems to be a perception only. It needs to be
studied in field conditions.

• If used in DLC, then even cracking, if it occurs is not expected

to affect the performance of concrete pavement

• Specifications regarding free lime content, expansion and

extent of use in concrete should be prepared and incorporated
in codes.
THANK YOU