Use of Slag from Steelworks (BSSF and BOF) in the Manufacture of Concrete as a Possible Environmental Solution: Case Study with Tailings from the CSP of the Port of Pecém in Ceará

Abstract

The increased demand for raw materials by the construction and processing industries, in particular steel produced from iron ore, has caused negative environmental impacts on the communities located around the steel industries. Therefore, this study validated the hypothesis that it is possible to use the waste produced and disposed of in steel mills (steel mill slag) in the construction industry. In this context, concrete manufacturing experiments were carried out by replacing the aggregate material (sand and cement) with steel mill slag (BSFF and BOF) and technical tests (particle size analysis, magnetic field testing, expansivity and axial strength) to prove the quality of the material produced. The results obtained show that the use of iron ore tailings produced at the Companhia Siderúrgica do Pecém (CSP) in the state of Ceará has potential to produce concrete that can be used in small and large constructions (low-income housing, asphalt sheets, buildings, and viaducts) and that this can help mitigate the negative effects of environmental pollution in the communities surrounding this region, helping to reduce environmental impacts.