Use of Steel Industry By-products in Sustainable Civil Engineering Applications

Abstract

The concept of sustainability has been growing for many years. In parallel to this popularity, the use of sustainable materials in the construction industry has increased significantly. Sustainable construction materials should be proposed and introduced to the construction industry, mostly as a replacement for cement. Cement is one of the most commonly used construction materials, which produces very high carbon emissions. As the most widely used building material in the world, concrete is predominantly comprised of cement. Therefore, sustainable alternative constituents to cement are required. This study focuses on alternative materials to cement and additionally, alternative materials to naturally available aggregates. The physical, chemical characteristics and mineralogical properties of the proposed materials are investigated and the results are demonstrated in this research study. The findings highlight the environmental and economic potential of replacing cement and other binding materials with steel slag.