Radiation shielding and mechanical properties of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) produced with EAF slag aggregates

In this paper, the influence of Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) slag aggregates on the mechanical and gamma ray shielding properties of concrete mixtures were studied experimentally. EAF slag and crushed limestone were used as aggregates while steel fibers of different geometry were also incorporated into the concrete mixtures. Unit weight, ultrasonic pulse velocity, compressive strength, split tensile strength, flexural toughness and shielding properties in gamma energies 244, 344, 779, 964, 1112 and 1408 keV were measured and compared to the corresponding values of conventional concrete. The use of EAF slag aggregates results in the production of higher density concrete compared to conventional concrete with limestone aggregates with enhanced mechanical and shielding properties and adequate workability. Additionally, the inclusion of fibers improves the flexural behavior of concrete and slightly increases compressive strength and unit weight.