The purpose of this research was to study the feasibility of incorporating steel slags into
coarse bituminous mixtures. The objective was twofold: to reduce dependence on natural
aggregates, and to provide a use for industrial by-products. The slags studied come from
the manufacture of carbon steel in electric furnaces and are divided into two types: Electric
Arc Furnace (EAF) slag and Ladle Furnace (LF) slag. The mixture designed is coarse
bituminous concrete (AC22G), for base courses in flexible pavements.
In a first phase, the physical characterization of the materials was carried out to check their
suitability. In a second phase, three types of mixes were designed: a control mix (made
with natural limestone aggregates), a mix where LF slag was introduced to replace the
filler and the fine fraction (sand) of the mix; and finally, the feasibility of manufacturing a
totally sustainable mix was analyzed, which would fully incorporate EAF slag as coarse
aggregate and LF slag as fine aggregate and filler. In a third and final phase, the designed
mixes were subjected to different mechanical, water sensitivity, and durability tests.
The research demonstrated that the incorporation of EAF and LF steel slag as a substitute
for natural aggregate in coarse bituminous mixtures is feasible, meeting regulatory
requirements, improving sustainability in the construction industry, as well as reducing
emissions, and contributing to climate change mitigation.
