Optimal Design and Application of Universal Cementitious Material Prepared Using Full Industrial Solid Wastes

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Civil Engineering
• Sustainable Construction

Background:

• Growing demand for sustainable construction materials.
• Need for effective utilization of industrial solid wastes (ISWs).
• Limitations of traditional cement in certain applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel cementitious material using five types of industrial solid waste (ISWs) to completely replace ordinary Portland cement.
• To optimize the proportion of ISWs for maximum mortar strength.
• To evaluate the performance of the developed material in stabilizing aeolian sand.

Main Methods:

• Development of a full solid waste-based cementitious material (ISWs-CM) using steel slag (SS), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), phosphorus slag (PS), carbide slag (CS), and desulfurized gypsum (DG).
• Application of a two-layer optimization strategy involving chemical moduli and simplex lattice experiments.
• Assessment of uniaxial compressive strength of mortar and stabilized aeolian sand.

Main Results:

• Optimal ISW proportion identified as SS:GGBFS:PS:CS = 5:20:20:40 for maximum mortar strength.
• Increased GGBFS proportion enhanced mortar strength due to its high reactivity.
• Aeolian sand stabilized with ISW-CM exhibited higher strength than cement-stabilized sand.
• Synergistic effects of ISWs led to denser connections and encapsulation of sand particles.

Conclusions:

• The developed ISW-CM effectively replaces cement in mortar applications.
• ISW-CM shows significant potential for stabilizing aeolian sand with enhanced mechanical properties.
• The study highlights the viability of ISWs as sustainable alternatives in construction, promoting circular economy principles.