Green Concrete Using Electric Arc Furnace Slag and Manufactured Sand: A Comprehensive Review

This review paper synthesizes findings from an experimental study investigating the use of Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) slag and Manufactured Sand (M-Sand) as partial replacements for conventional aggregates in green concrete. The study addresses dual imperatives of sustainable construction: reducing dependence on depleting natural aggregates and valorizing industrial byproducts from the steelmaking sector. Experimental concrete mixes of M20 and M25 grades were developed following IS 10262:2019 and IS 456:2000 guidelines, with EAF slag replacing cement at 6–12% and M-Sand replacing cement at 5–15% by weight. Results demonstrated that a 10% replacement level for both EAF slag and M-Sand consistently yielded the best mechanical performance, with compressive strength gains of up to 8.5% and 8.8%, split tensile strength improvements of up to 9.1%, and flexural strength enhancements of up to 9.2% over control mixes at 28 days. Ternary blends combining both EAF and M-Sand achieved compressive strengths of 34.8 MPa (M20) and 41.5 MPa (M25), substantially exceeding conventional targets.This review contextualizes these findings within the broader literature, identifies fulfilled and persistent research gaps, and offers recommendations for industry adoption.