Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Carbon-Capturing Concrete Composed of Blast Furnace Slag with Changes in Cement Content and Exposure
PURPOSES: This study investigates the mechanical performance of carbon-capturing concrete that mainly contains blast furnace slag.
METHODS: The mixture variables were considered; these included Portland cement content, which was varied from 10% to 40% of the blast furnace slag by weight. The specimens were exposed to different conditions such as high N2 and O2 concentrations, laboratory conditions and high CO2 conditions. Mechanical performances, including compressive and flexural strengths and carbon-capturing depth, were evaluated.
RESULTS : The slump, air content and unit weight were not affected significantly by the variation in cement content. The strength development when the specimens were exposed to high purity air was slightly greater than that when exposed to high CO2. As the cement content increased the compressive and flexural strength increased but not considerably. The carbon-capturing capacity decreased as the cement content increased. The specimens exposed in the field for 70 days had flexural strength greater than 3 MPa.
CONCLUSIONS : The results indicate that cement content is not an important parameter in the development of compressive and flexural strengths. However, the carbon-capturing depth was higher for less cement content. Even after field exposure for 70 days, neither any significant damage on the surface nor any decrease in strength was observed.