Effects of waste sulfur content on properties of self-compacting concrete

Abstract

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) contains fine mineral fillers such as limestone powder. The idea of this study was to partially replace limestone with waste sulfur since it is hydrophobic, insoluble in water and therefore chemically inert and to compare the properties of produced concrete samples. Fresh concrete properties included: slump-flow, t(500), V-funnel time, L-box ratio, segregation ratio, density, and entrained air content. Hardened concrete was tested for compressive, flexural and bond strengths, ultrasonic velocity, dynamic elasticity modulus, dynamic Poisson's ratio, and microstructure. Flowability and segregation increased, while bulk density, compressive and flexural strength, dynamic elasticity modulus and ultrasonic velocity slight declined. Times t(500) and V-funnel time, L-box ratio and entrained air changed insignificantly. Considering that all properties should remain or improve in case of waste valorization and the criteria should set to satisfy requirements for SCC, this study proved that all mixtures can be used for structural applications.