Mechanical and Durability Properties of Mortars Incorporating Red Mud, Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag, and Electric Arc Furnace Dust

This research studies the properties of mortars incorporating waste materials including red mud (RM), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), and electric arc furnace dust (EAFD). Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) was partially replaced with equal contents of RM, GGBFS, and EAFD at different ratios by weight (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, and 50%). Slump, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, electrical resistivity, water absorption, resistance to freeze–thaw cycles, and durability under sodium sulphate and sulphuric acid attacks were investigated. Moreover, the microstructure of mortars cured in tap water and exposed to sulphuric acid was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX). Cement replacement up to 20% led to a slight increase in compressive strength at 7, 28, and 120 days, while the results of durability tests showed that only up to 10% cement substitution could improve the durability of the mortar. A microstructural analysis showed that small waste grain portions in the matrix improved the whole mix density and the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between aggregates and paste. The results of this study showed that there is an optimum replacement ratio of about 10%, beyond which the incorporation of these waste powders can cause degradation of concrete properties.