Electric arc furnace slag as natural aggregate replacement in concrete production

Recycled materials in the building industry represent an attractive alternative to the consumption of natural resources. The paper shows results obtained by adding electric arc furnace slag (EAFs) as partial replacement of natural aggregates in concrete production. EAFs determines a significant increase in the compressive strength of concrete while it does not seem to affect the bending strength and drying shrinkage of cement mixtures. The concrete durability was approached by a careful chemical analysis and microstructural investigation of EAFs. The tendency to deteriorate seems negligible due to a low presence of amorphous and expansive compounds leading to an increase in volume. Moreover, the metals released, compared with the national legislation requirements, meet environmental standards.