Mechanical Properties and Durability of Sustainable Concrete Containing Various Industrial Solid Wastes

Benefits of replacing ordinary Portland cement with industrial solid wastes are promising for reducing cement production and solving environmental problems associated with industrial solid wastes. In this study, an experimental investigation was conducted to evaluate the performance of sustainable concrete containing different industrial solid wastes (e.g., waste glass, coal gangue, fly ash, and slag), with the attention on the mechanical strength, chloride transport property, and pore structure characteristics. Three water to binder ratios (i.e., 0.38, 0.48, and 0.65) and three replacement levels (i.e., 10%, 20%, and 30%) were considered in this work. The test results show that regardless of the content and type of industrial solid wastes, the inclusion of industrial solid wastes generally exerts a negative influence on the mechanical properties, especially under high water to binder ratios. However, acceptable mechanical strength can still be achieved in these sustainable concretes. In addition, the inclusion of industrial solid wastes could enhance the chloride diffusion resistance of concrete, and also the concrete with waste glass powder showed the best performance. Furthermore, the incorporation of industrial solid wastes has a refinement effect on the microstructure of the matrix, manifesting as decreased cumulative pore volume and compacted microstructural morphology.