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Advances in Concrete Construction Volume 20, Number 3, September 2025 , pages 201-216 DOI: https://doi.org/10.12989/acc.2025.20.3.201 |
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Assessing sulfuric acid resistance in sustainable GGBFS-cement composite |
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Ahmed Salah Jamal, Bashdar Omer, Mahmood Hunar Dheyaaldin and Najmadeen Mohammed Saeed
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| Abstract | ||
| Concrete's alkali characteristic makes it susceptible to attack by acidic solutions. Concrete degradation caused by sulfuric acid is a global issue that costs billions of dollars annually. Also, the negative implications of cement production urge using supplementary cementitious materials to produce more durable and sustainable binding materials. Therefore, this study addresses these challenges by investigating the durability and sustainability of blended cement with ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) as a partial substitute when subjected to a 5% sulfuric acid solution to identify chemical durability performance. The weight loss and mechanical properties were measured and compared to the control mixes. The effect of different mixture design parameters, including water/binder (w/b) ratio, GGBFS replacement content, and polycarboxylate superplasticizer content, on cement mortar's resistance to sulfuric acid was investigated. Experimental results revealed that the weight loss was adversely proportional to the GGBFS replacement content. Moreover, the weight loss was inversely related to the polycarboxylate superplasticizer content at the ratio of 0.4 w/b, while it was directly proportional at 0.44 and 0.48 w/b ratios. SEM analysis revealed that the properties and behavior of cement-GGBFS mortar mixtures can significantly be altered by sulfuric acid attack, leading to changes in microstructure and the formation of different hydration products. The findings of this study show that incorporating GGBFS with appropriate superplasticizer amounts can reduce the carbon footprint of GGBFS blended cement. | ||
| Key Words | ||
| GGBFS; mechanical properties; polycarboxylate superplasticizer; SCM; sulfuric acid attack | ||
| Address | ||
| (1) Ahmed Salah Jamal: Civil Engineering Department, Tishk International University, Erbil 44001, Iraq; (2) Bashdar Omer, Najmadeen Mohammed Saeed: Civil Engineering Department, University of Raparin, Ranya 46012, Iraq; (3) Mahmood Hunar Dheyaaldin: Department of Civil Engineering, Cihan University-Erbil, Erbil 44001, Iraq; (4) Mahmood Hunar Dheyaaldin: Civil Engineering Department, American University in Dubai, Dubai 25314, UAE. | ||
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