SSRG International Journal of Civil Engineering Volume 11 Issue 7, 28-35, July 2024

ISSN: 2348-8352/ https://doi.org/10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V11I7P103 © 2024 Seventh Sense Research Group®

Original Article

Strength and Durability Performance of Fibre Reinforced

Pavement Quality Concrete with Copper Slag as Fine
Aggregate
K. Athiappan1, Sivaramakrishnan Subbaram2
1
Department of Civil Engineering, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Tamil Nadu, India.
2
Department of Civil Engineering, Sri Sairam Engineering College, Tamil Nadu, India.

1
Corresponding Author : [email protected]

Received: 07 May 2024 Revised: 06 June 2024 Accepted: 06 July 2024 Published: 31 July 2024

Abstract - This research focuses on the use of copper slag as fine aggregate incorporated with steel fibre at a dosage of 0.4% to
1.6% with an increment of 0.4%. The mechanical properties, such as compressive strength, flexural strength and fatigue life,
were investigated. The durability parameters such as acid, alkaline, sulphate, chloride resistance and resistance to abrasion and
skid were investigated. The results obtained reveal that the concrete with copper slag and steel fibre possesses better mechanical
properties, and concrete having copper slag as fine aggregate possesses high durability characteristics. The flexural strength
has increased 2 times. A strong relationship between flexural strength and fatigue life was noted.

Keywords - Sustainability, Durability, Concrete, Slag, Fibre, Fatigue.

1. Introduction The capacity of copper slag to boost compressive and flexural

Road construction is essential to the progress of strength up to a particular percentage makes it one of the
humankind. Building roads encourages movement between several industrial wastes that may be used to make pavement-
locations and fosters tourism, cross-cultural dialogue, and quality concrete [6]. The glassy, smooth texture of copper slag
mutual understanding. Road infrastructure connects people can help concrete mixtures become more workable, simpler to
and places, promotes economic activity, and facilitates trade pour, and easier to mould. Copper slag can make concrete
and commerce in local communities by making it easier to denser overall since it has a greater specific gravity than sand.
transport goods and services. In the end, enhanced By using copper slag as a substitute, natural sand resources are
connectivity makes it possible for people in remote areas to used less frequently, encouraging sustainable building
have better access to healthcare, education, and other methods [7].
necessities. On the other hand, there are also important
environmental problems such as soil erosion, increasing The use of fibres in concrete has a number of benefits.
pollution, biodiversity loss, and habitat fragmentation as well Fibres reduce the size and propagation of concrete fractures.
as climate change [1]. The construction of roads was essential This is so that water and other chemicals cannot seep in, and
to the economy’s growth, but it also depletes natural the fractures are kept from getting worse. When it comes to
resources, which include crushed stones extracted from rocks tensile strength, FRC is superior to regular concrete. It can,
and fine aggregate made from river sand found in river beds. therefore, bear higher pulling pressures without cracking [8].
[2, 3]. To reduce pollution and clear landfill space, researchers Additionally, fibres increase the fatigue strength and impact
should concentrate on the potential use of industrial waste in resistance of the concrete. FRC reduces concrete’s
road construction. Stone and gravel, two common materials permeability, which increases its resistance to liquids like
used for the construction of pavements, are naturally occurring water seeping through the surface. This is crucial for buildings
resources that require a long time to create [4]. Instead, we that are subjected to corrosive environments or severe
may protect these natural resources for future applications by weather. FRC may occasionally be a more affordable option
utilizing industrial residues. There are instances where than conventional steel reinforcing. This is because it
employing industrial waste instead of conventional eliminates the need for complex steel bar placement and
construction materials will result in lower costs. There is no reduces labor costs [9]. Hence, in this research, the
need to harvest and transport fresh material because the conventional concrete, the fine aggregate, is fully replaced
industrial waste is already a result of another operation [5]. with copper slag and steel fire of dosage 0.4% to 1.6% with

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

 K. Athiappan & Sivaramakrishnan Subbaram / IJCE, 11(7), 28-35, 2024

0.4% increment, and the mechanical and durability properties satisfying the physical and gradation requirements according
are investigated. to standard IS: 383-2016 was used. The crimped steel fibre of
length 40mm, width 2.5mm and thickness 1mm, as shown in
2. Materials Figure 2 are used in this research.
The different concrete specimens required for the
research are cast using the OPC 53 grade cement conforming 2.1. Mix Designation
to IS 12269-2013 standard. The conventional fine aggregate The mix designation used in this research is shown in
and copper slag obtained as residue from the copper industry Table 1. If the Mix ID is C-0.4, C-represents the copper slag
satisfying the gradation requirement conform to standard as fine aggregate and 0.4 represents the percentage of steel
IS:383-2016 shown in Figure 1. The coarse aggregate fibre included in the concrete.

Table 1. Mix designations and specifications

S. No. Mix Fibre % of Fibre Remarks
1 R Nil Nil Conventional Fine Aggregate Used (River Sand)
2 C Nil Nil
3 C-0.4 0.4
40mm Copper Slag is Used as Fine Aggregate
4 C-0.8 0.8
Length
5 C-1.2 1.2
Steel Fibre
6 C-1.6 1.6

3. Tests and Methods q = 900 (i0+2i30+2i60+2i90+2i120+...+2i300+2i330+I360)

3.1. Strength Tests (1)
The compressive strength and flexural strength of the
hardened pavement quality concrete were determined Where,
according to IS: 516-2021 (Part-1). The concrete cube of size q - Electric charge passed through a single specimen
150mm and prism of size 150mm x 150 mm x 700mm were
used to determine compressive and flexural strength, i0 - Initial electric charge passed after the current
respectively. The fatigue life of the specimen was determined supply (coulombs)
by maintaining a 0.5 stress ratio of haiver sine loading pattern, It - Electric charge passed after the current applied
and the stress-strain and deflection behaviour are shown in (voltage)
Figure 3, maintaining a frequency of 4Htz with centre point
The resistance to the abrasive action of the copper slag
loading on the concrete specimen of dimension 10mm x
and fibre contained concrete was determined according to BIS
100mm x 500mm as shown in Figure 4.
1237-2012. The test set-up is shown in Figure 6(a), and
abraded concrete specimens are shown in the figure. The test
3.2. Durability and Skid Resistance Test
The resistance to the acidic and alkaline conditions of was performed by casting a concrete cube of size 7.06cm.
copper slag contained concrete was determined by immersing The concrete specimen was placed on the abrasive disc,
the concrete cube specimen of size 150mm in solution, rotated at a speed of 30 rpm, and subjected to 220 revolutions.
maintaining a pH value of 1.54 (using HCL for acidic The 20 grams of abrasive powder was replaced after every 22
medium) and 12.20 (using NaHCO3 for alkaline medium) revolutions. The reduction in thickness was determined by
respectively for 30 days, the percentage weight and strength Equation (2).
loss was determined according to IS: 516-2021 (Part-5).
Similarly, sulphate resistance and chloride resistance are (w1−w2) v1
determined by immersing the concrete cube specimen in a t= X (2)
w1 a
solution having 5% sodium sulphate and 3 % sodium chloride Where,
respectively. The Rapid Chloride-ion Penetration Test t- loss in thickness (mm)
(RCPT) using concrete specimens of dimension 10mm
diameter and 200m height is shown in Figure 5. In this w1,w2 - where the w1 and w2 are initial and final weights
experiment, the electric current that passes through the of the concrete where the w1 and w2 are initial and final
concrete specimen after six hours was determined; the higher weights of the concrete specimen before and after being
the charge passes, the higher the permeable and the lower the subjected to abrasive action, respectively, in grams specimen
charge passes, the lower the permeable. This was interpreted before and after being subjected to abrasive action
according to the ASTM C1202 standard. The charge passed respectively in grams.
was estimated using Equation (1).

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V1- The volume of the concrete specimen before abrasive

action (cm3)

a - Cross-sectional area of the concrete specimen (cm2)

4. Result and Discussion

4.1. Mechanical Properties
The variations in the compressive strength, flexural
strength and fatigue life of pavement quality concrete with
various dosages of steel fibre are shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9,
respectively. The compressive strength and flexural strength
were found to be lower for the concrete mix (Mix C) with
copper slag as fine aggregate than the concrete mix (Mix R)
with conventional fine aggregate (river sand) due to less water
absorption of the cooper slag contributing to excessive water
content in the concrete mix which leads to bleeding and
segregation. It was noted that with the inclusion of steel fibre
upto the dosage of 0.8%, the compressive strength, flexural Fig. 1 Gradation of conventional fine aggregate and copper slag
strength and fatigue life were found to increase; it was due to according to IS 383; 2016
the copper slag and steel fibre combined together exhibiting a
synergistic effect [10, 11]. In addition the pozzolonic reaction
of copper slag tends to improve the performance by having
better bonding with the steel fibre.

The combined effect of the steel fibre and copper slag

tends to produce denser and more durable concrete, thus
increasing the compressive strength, flexural strength and
fatigue life [12, 13, 14]. It was also noted that, beyond 0.8%
dosage of steel fibre, the compressive strength, flexural
strength and fatigue life were found to be decreasing; the
impedance of hydration processes, agglomeration causing
localized stress, increased porosity and non-uniform
distribution of fibre at the higher dosage of steel fibre were
noticed [15, 16, 17].

The flexural strength and fatigue life of concrete were

found to increase to a greater extent upto 0.8% dosage of steel
fibre due to the fibre acting as a crack resistant by reducing the
crack formation and delaying the crack initiation and Fig. 2 Steel fibre
propagation of the crack, especially during fatigue loading,
improved ductility as the concrete specimen tends to deform
before failure, improved toughness, reduced crack width and
high resistance to the micro crack formation were noticed [18].
It was noted from Figures 10 and 11 that the compressive
strength and fatigue life have a strong relationship with
flexural strength due to the uniform distribution of steel fibre
in concrete reducing the localized stress concentration, which
reduces the fatigue failure initiation sites and the flexural
strength of fibre reinforced concrete tends to remain consistent
under fatigue loading leads to have a linear relationship with
fatigue life and compressive strength of fibre reinforced
concrete. This sentence is too long and the meaning is not
clear. Break it up into smaller sentences [19, 20]. It was also Fig. 3 Stress-strain and deflection behavior of Haver sine controlled
fatigue test
noted that the flexural strength and compressive strength fall (Source; Pronk, 2010)
below the minimum requirement of 4.5N/mm2 and 40
N/mm2, respectively, beyond 1.2% dosage of steel fibre.

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Fig. 4 Concrete specimen subjected to fatigue loading

Fig. 7 Variation of compressive strength with 40mm steel fibre for

various dosages

Fig. 5 RCPT test-up

Fig. 8 Variation of flexural strength with 40mm steel fibre for various
dosages

Fig. 6(a) Abrasive resistance test set-up

Fig. 6(b) Concrete specimen subjected to abrasive test

Fig. 9 Variation of fatigue life with 40mm steel fibre for various dosages

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Fig. 10 Relation between flexural strength and compressive strength Fig. 13 Percentage of weight loss and reduction in compressive strength
of specimen subjected to the alkaline environment

Fig. 11 Relation between flexural strength and fatigue life Fig. 14 Percentage of weight loss and reduction in compressive strength
of specimen subjected to sulphate environment

Fig. 12 Percentage of weight loss and reduction in compressive strength Fig. 15 Percentage weight loss and reduction in compressive strength of
of specimen subjected to acid environment specimen subjected to sulphate environment

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4.2. Durability on Different Exposure Conditions

C-1.6 The variation in compressive strength and corresponding
C-1.4 weight loss of the concrete specimen subjected to the acid and
% of Glass Fibre

alkaline environments is shown in Figures 12 and 13. The

C-1.2 results obtained show that the maximum reduction in
C-0.8 compressive strength and weight loss for the acid condition of
copper slag contained specimen was found to be 3.75% and
C-0.4
0.34%, respectively. Similarly, under alkaline conditions, the
C maximum reduction in compressive strength and weight loss
R was found to be 2.39% and 0.23%, respectively.

0 500 1000 1500 2000 The reduction in compressive strength and corresponding
Charge Passed in Coulombs
weight loss of the concrete specimen subjected to sulphate and
R C C-0.4 C-0.8 C-1.2 C-1.4 C-1.6
chloride environments is shown in Figures 14 and 15. It was
56th days 1026 715 737 823 956 1231 1567
noted that the maximum compressive strength reduction and
28th day 1090 889 998 1020 1134 1578 1678 weight loss in the sulphate environment for the copper slag
contained concrete specimen were 4.21% and 0.40%,
Fig. 16 Variation of charge passed through different concrete mixes respectively.
(columbs)
Similarly, in the chloride condition, the maximum
reduction in compressive strength and weight loss was found
to be 3.76 % and 1.26 %, respectively. The reduction in
compressive strength and weight loss for all the above
conditions was found to be very low and negligible, and it was
due to the inert property of copper slag, which used as a fine
aggregate will not react with alkaline, acid, sulphate and
chloride ions present in the environment, thus maintaining
stability and integrity of the concrete [21].

Further, the density of the copper slag concrete increased

due to the formation of additional Calcium Silicate Hydrates
(C-S-H) due to the chemical reaction between the calcium
hydroxide and copper slag [22]. The results of the RCPT test
are shown in Figure 16.

The result obtained shows that, the concrete contained

Fig. 17 Variation of wear depth of different concrete mixes copper slag is highly impermeable when compared to the
conventional concrete having river sand as fine aggregate.
However, with the inclusion of fibre, the impermeable
characteristics are slightly reduced after both the 28 days and
56 days curing. However, the 56 days cured concrete samples
are highly impermeable due to the increase in the density of
concrete.

4.3. Abrasive and Skid Resistance

The interaction between the tyre of the vehicle and the
road surface induces abrasive action and causes high wear and
tear on the concrete road surface. Hence, the concrete used
for the construction of a rigid pavement should have enough
resistance to the abrasive action. Similarly, the surface of the
concrete pavement should have enough skid resistance to
avoid accidents due to skidding of the vehicle, which is most
common on the road. The test results of the abrasion and skid
resistance are shown in Figures 17 and 18. It was noted that
the concretes having copper slag as fine aggregate are found
Fig. 18 Variation of skid value for different concrete mixes to be sand) after both 28 days and 90 days of curing. Similarly,

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the copper slag contained concrete has a high skid resistance 7. Conclusion
value. The following conclusion was drawn from the
experimental research:
5. Limitations of the Study  The flexural strength fatigue and fatigue life of concrete
In this research, the laboratory investigation alone is done was found to increase to a greater extent upto 0.8%
for steel fibre of a single length. The stress-strain behavior on dosage of steel fibre due to the fibre’s crack resistance.
fatigue loading, rutting resistance, performance under  The maximum reduction in compressive strength and
different axle loadings and field validation were not weight loss for the acid, alkaline, sulphate and chloride
investigated. environments of copper slag contained specimen was
found to be negligible.
6. Scope of the Research  The concrete having copper slag as fine aggregate is
The above research can be extended to different dynamic found to have high resistance to abrasive action when
axle loads and impact loading. The use of different types of compared to the concrete with conventional fine
fibres, such as glass, polypropylene, carbon fibre, etc., and aggregate (river sand) after both 28 days and 90 days of
other industrial waste, such as steel slag, ground granulated curing. Similarly, the copper slag contained concrete has
blast furnace slag, tile waste, marble waste, etc., could also be a high skid resistance value.
investigated.

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