Influence of silica fume and iron dust on mechanical properties of concrete

Construction sectors around the world are growing at a rapid pace. This growth is demanding more and more raw materials on daily basis. Supply is made mostly by consuming natural resources, whether it is limestone requirement for cement manufacture or sand and aggregates requirement for casting concrete. This research work attempts to address the said issue by utilizing industrial waste as substitutes for cement and sand in concrete. In this investigation, cement and fine aggregate are replaced with silica fume (0-15 %) and iron dust (0-30 %) respectively. A small amount (0-0.05 %) of superplasticizer was used to maintain the desired workability. Mechanical properties, such as compressive strength, flexural strength, split tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and abrasion resistance were determined. Results indicate that Compressive, flexural, split tensile strength and modulus of elasticity increased by 29.40 %, 21.53 %, 16.44 %, and 7.23 % respectively, and abrasion value decreased by 11.05 % at 84 days for 10 % silica fume and 20 % iron dust replacement level.