Fresh and mechanical properties of ground granulated blast furnace slag-based concrete: A review

The surge in global urbanization and developmental activities has led to a significant increase in the worldwide demand for concrete. Cement composites, such as concrete and mortar, are among the world's most extensively used construction materials. Cement manufacturing accounts for about 90% of overall carbon footprints in concrete that leads to demand for alternate binding materials derived from industrial by-products. Steel manufacturing is one of the fastest expanding sectors in construction, resulting in massive slag creation. Slag, a solid waste generated during the extraction of iron from its ore, exhibits varying qualities determined solely by the cooling process employed. One of its forms, Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS), has characteristics comparable to cement and hence it is a possible alternative. This study gives a comprehensive report on GGBFS as a cement substitute based on previously published research on the effect of GGBFS on various concrete qualities as well as its manufacture. The impact of GGBFS on concrete characteristics such as workability, setting time, flexural strength, compressive strength, and split tensile strength is explored in this study. It has been determined that integrating GGBFS up to a particular level successfully matches the characteristics of standard concrete. The current state-of-the-art evaluation aims to provide a consolidated, complete source that incorporates the general trends, discoveries, areas of study that require additional investigation, and prospective future applications of concrete based on GGBFS.