Copper or ferrous slag as substitutes for fine aggregates in concrete

The ever-increasing cost of natural sand and the environmental impacts of extracting manufactured sand (quarry sand) calls for exploring the potential to use alternative materials as fine aggregates in concrete. Copper slag and ferrous slag are industrial by products obtained from the smelting process of copper and iron respectively. A large quantity of copper slag and ferrous slag end up being disposed as waste in landfills and this poses a serious threat to the environment. Copper slag and ferrous slag have similar physical and chemical properties as natural sand and also exhibit pozzolanic activity. This paper studies the technical feasibility of industrial by-products such as copper slag and ferrous slag to replace the fine aggregate in concrete by evaluating the workability, strength and durability characteristics of concrete. The test results indicate that the strength properties are not affected by 40% or 100% replacement of quarry sand with iron slag or copper slag. However, 40% replacement of quarry sand with iron slag or copper slag in concrete is recommended considering the durability aspects of concrete.