The workability, mechanical, and electrical properties of steel fiber‐reinforced SCC incorporating ultra‐fine copper slag as fine aggregate

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Katlav M., Donmez I., Kaygusuz A., Turgut P., Türk K.

STRUCTURAL CONCRETE, ss.1-20, 2025 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1002/suco.70090
  • Dergi Adı: STRUCTURAL CONCRETE
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, PASCAL, Aerospace Database, Communication Abstracts, Compendex, INSPEC, Metadex, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1-20
  • Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
  • İnönü Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Ultra-fine copper slag (CS), a byproduct of the copper industry, is al waste

material that is produced in large volumes annually, and its disposal and management

are a major environmental concern. Therefore, the utilization of CS

in various sectors, especially in the production of construction and building

materials, offers enormous potential for both environmental sustainability and

economic benefits. In this research, the feasibility of using CS at a ratio of 0%,

25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% by replacing fine aggregate in steel fiber-reinforced

self-compacting concrete (SFR-SCC) with high-volume steel fiber (1.50% by

volume) has been explored for the first time in the literature. To identify the

workability properties of SFR-SCC mixes incorporating 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and

100% ultra-fine CS by replacing the fine aggregate, slump-flow, flow times

(T500) and J-ring tests were performed, whereas compressive strength (fc),

splitting tensile strength (fct), and modulus of elasticity (Ec) tests were applied

to the samples for different curing days to evaluate the mechanical properties.

Additionally, electrical resistivity/conductivity tests were conducted to determine

the electrical properties as well. The experimental results revealed that

the inclusion of ultra-fine CS into SFR-SCC mixes with high-volume fiber

improved the slump-flow and T500 values, whereas the use of ultra-fine CS

above 50% induced a remarkable increase in the T500 value. In addition, the

addition of ultra-fine CS caused significant decreases in J-ring height difference

(ΔH) values, and a 4-times decrease in ΔH value was observed when the CS

ratio was raised from 0% to 100%. In this context, in terms of workability, all

mixes exhibited acceptable stability with minimal segregation tendency. On

the other hand, the mechanical performance of SFR-SCC samples with different ultra-fine CS ratios was found to be better than those without CS; specifically,

the samples incorporating 25% ultra-fine CS reached outstanding

values such as fc, fct, and Ec with 83.4, 9.1, and 40.4 GPa, respectively. Furthermore,

increasing the CS content in SFR-SCC samples led to considerable

improvements in electrical properties, with the CS content raising the electrical

conductivity values by an average of 60%. Consequently, it has been proven

that the use of ultra-fine CS by replacing fine aggregate in SFR-SCC mixes having

high-volume steel fiber improves both the workability and mechanical

properties as well as its electrical performance, resulting in high-performance,

eco-friendly composites. Thus, it also contributes to the protection of natural

resources and the sustainable utilization of industrial waste as well as providing

an innovative solution that improves the performance of building

materials.

KEYWORDS

electrical properties, mechanical properties, steel fiber-reinforced SCC, ultra-fine copper slag,

workability properties