Industrial production of iron and steel within Spain has historically
been situated in the north area of Spain. Although a major economic activity for
the region, the industry also generates large volumes of waste that have hitherto
been dumped in unsightly landfill sites. Over 25 years ago, a group of engineers
and researchers from the same area set themselves the challenge of regenerating this waste. In this study, the advances developed in the technology of green
slag concrete are reviewed, focusing on the expertise that the research group has
accumulated over the past 25 years. Electric arc furnace slag is a stony material
that is now often used as aggregate in hydraulic and bituminous mixes. Its use
in hydraulic cement-based materials and the important properties of slag aggregates for mix workability are analyzed. Likewise, the mechanical behavior and
the durability of slag concrete specimens is presented, paying special attention
to expansive compounds and to the performance of electric arc furnace concrete
in marine environments. In addition, real scale elements manufactured with slag
concrete and their behavior are analyzed, as well as the advantages of applying
current standards to their design. Finally, new lines of research are discussed for
the use of electric arc furnace slag in cement-based materials.
