Mechanical, environmental and economic performance of structural concrete containing silica fume and marble industry waste powder

摘要

Marble waste powder (MWP) is an inert material that is obtained as an industrial by-product during sawing, shaping, and polishing of marble and causes serious environmental problems. This paper describes the procedures and results of a laboratory investigation of mechanical properties carried out on 16 concrete mixes containing MWP and silica fume (SF) as partial replacement of ordinary Portland cement (OPC). OPC was partially replaced at different ratios of SF (0%, 2.5%, 5%, 10%) and MWP (0%, 5%, 10%, 20%). In all concrete mixes, constant water/binder ratio of 0.45 and target initial slump of S2 class (50-90 mm) were used. Workability and bulk density tests were carried out on fresh concrete, while compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and modulus of elasticity tests were performed to evaluate some relevant properties of concrete in the hardened state. Eventually, all of the concrete mixes were evaluated in terms of economic, environmental and mechanical approaches.