This paper examines the flexural behavior of reinforced and plain concrete beams with steel slag as a partial substitute for natural fine aggregate. Four concrete mixes were made using 0, 20, 40, and 60 percent replacement of steel slag. The beam specimens were subjected to two-point loading as per IS 516:1959. The findings indicated that the 60% replacement mix had the best flexural strength with an increase of about 1822% over the control mix. Enhanced performance is attributed to the improvement of mechanical interlocking and surface roughness of slag particles. In the current study, performance was not assessed beyond this level. The results indicate that steel slag may be used as a sustainable substitute for natural fine aggregates in structural concrete.
Alagu et al. (Wed,) studied this question.