Mechanical and durability performance of self-compacting mortars made with different industrial by-products as fillers

Abstract

This study evaluated the performance over time of Self-Compacting Mortars (SC mortars) with different industrial by-products simultaneously; Electric Arc Furnace Dust (EAFD) and fly ash, conforming (FA) or not conforming (NcFA), from coal-fired power plant or recovery filler from hot-mix asphalt plant (RF). Different SC mortars mixes were produced; three mixes with different EAFD ratio incorporation (0 %, 10 %and 20 %) for each the other industrial by-products (FA, NcFA and RF) substituted of cement at 30 %; and additional three mixes with 60 % of cement replacement by FA and the same EAFD incorporation ratios. To study the performance over time of these SC mortars, tests such as electrical resistivity, ultrasonic pulse velocity, drying shrinkage, capillarity, compressive and flexural strength were carried out up to 91 days of curing. The SC mortar compositions was evaluated by TGA/DTA and DRX analysis. Previously, the by-products used were characterized. The EAFD incorporation showed a strong influence in SC mortars, independently of the industrial by-product used. The initial inhibition of development of hardening in SC mortars due to the presence of ZnO in EAFD was lifted over time up to some extent. The simultaneous use of different industrial-by products in SC mortars in high volume content walks towards the sustainability in the construction sector.