Use of waste from the marble industry as filler for the production of self-compacting concretes

Abstract

This study evaluates the possibilities of using residual slurry from the cutting and superficial treatment of marble for the production of self-compacting concrete (SCC). The study considers the replacement of 30% of cement by the waste material, and assessed the effects on SCC properties in fresh and hardened states. Rheological characteristics were evaluated at the paste and concrete levels. Physical-mechanical characterization considers the rate of shrinkage and compressive strength gain. Pastes and concrete properties using waste marble as filler are compared with mixtures that include limestone filler, either added to the concrete or the cement. For the same dosage, an improvement in the flowability was observed in SCC with waste marble filler. The mechanical properties of the SCC adopting marble waste are equivalent to the SCC with limestone filler. The study shows that residual slurry from the processing of marble can represents an appropriate filler to be used in SCC.

Keywords

• self-compacting concrete
• filler
• marble waste