Lightweight concrete with copper slag waste as sand substitution

Abstract

The paper presents results of tests of lightweight concrete made with copper slag waste material as fine aggregate (fraction 0 – 2 mm) and two types of light aggregate (fractions > 2 mm). Six series of concrete with three w/c ratios (0.50, 0.55 and 0.60) and two variants of cement content (200 kg/m3 and 300 kg/m3) were manufactured. Reference concretes were also prepared in which copper slag waste was replaced by the same mass of river sand. To maintain similar densities of mixtures with copper slag in comparison to those with sand mutual proportions of both lightweight aggregates were modified. On concrete specimens compressive strength was tested as well as the open porosity was determined by drying to stable mass at 65°C. The concrete bulk density in saturated and dried state was also determined using hydrostatic weighing. The obtained results were compared with the results of the reference concrete tests. Results have shown that replacing sand with copper slag waste in lightweight concrete does not negatively affect their strength but may slightly increase their porosity.