Strength Studies on Slag Sand Concrete Blended with Silica Fume and Glass Powder

Abstract

Concrete is the backbone of modern construction, and its properties can be significantly enhanced by incorporating innovative materials like silica fume, fly ash, glass powder, slag sand, etc. This project explores the effects of incorporating slag sand, silica fume, and glass powder into concrete mixtures with Grade M30 specifications using a water-cement ratio of 0.5. The primary objective is to investigate how these innovative materials impact both fresh and hardened concrete properties. By fully replacing fine aggregate with slag sand, varying the percentages of silica fume (0, 10, 20, and 30), and adding glass powder (0, 10, and 20) by weight of cement, a total of 12 different concrete mixtures were prepared to achieve optimum strengths. The fresh properties of the concrete are evaluated by a slump test and a compaction factor test. The hardened properties are assessed by a compressive strength test at 28 days and 90 days, a split tensile strength test, and a flexural strength test after 28 days of curing.