Characteristics Strenght of Concrete Blended With Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (ggbfs) in Unconducive Environment

The project investigated the effect of replacing cement with Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS) in concrete. The use of GGBFS as a partial substitute for ordinary Portland cement (OPC) has gained attention in the construction industry due to its potential environmental and technical benefits. GGBFS, a byproduct of the steel manufacturing process, is highly reactive when ground finely, and can improve various properties of concrete, especially when it replaces a portion of cement. The objectives of the study are to: examine the physical and chemical properties of blended concrete with different percentages of GGBFS to understand how the substitution affects properties like workability, setting time, and heat of hydration, assess the mechanical properties of GGBFS-blended concrete by evaluating the compressive strength, tensile strength, and flexural strength of the material at different curing ages and GGBFS replacement percentages and analyze the microstructural properties of GGBFS-blended concrete, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to study the hydration products and pore structure, which influences the overall durability and performance of the concrete. In this project, different percentages of GGBFS (e.g., 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80%) were blended with OPC, and concrete samples were prepared. The tests were carried out to compare how the replacement of cement with GGBFS impacts the key properties of concrete, from the physical characteristics to the long-term performance in structural applications. The study concluded that the incorporation of Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS) into concrete can be beneficial in various aspects, although the extent of these benefits depends on the percentage of slag used and the curing conditions.