WATER PENETRATION PROPERTY OF CONCRETE WITH COPPER SLAG FINE AGGREGATE

Abstract

Attempts have been made recently in Japan to use copper slag fine aggregate, a by-product of copper smelting, as a fine aggregate for concrete. Concerns indicate that copper slag fine aggregates could lead to material separation due to bleeding and contribute to steel corrosion. The 2017 Standard Specification for Concrete stated that the water penetration rate into the concrete must verify the steel corrosion associated with water penetration. However, a few studies have focused on the water penetration properties of concrete with copper slag fine aggregates, even though clarifying their water penetration properties is paramount. Thus, this study evaluated the water penetration rate coefficients of concrete with copper slag fine aggregate using the predicted values given in the specifications. In this regard, concrete was prepared with ordinary Portland cement, considering a replacement of 10 % and 30 % of copper slag fine aggregate in terms of fine aggregate volume and a replacement of 10 % and 20 % of fly ash in terms of binder mass for the 30 % replacement case. The results showed that the water penetration rate coefficient of concrete with copper slag fine aggregate could be evaluated using the prediction equation given in the Standard Specification for Concrete by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers. Moreover, the results indicated that the water penetration rate coefficient of the concrete decreases with increasing modulus of elasticity.