Fresh and Hardened States of Distinctive Self-Compacting Concrete with Marble- and Phyllite-Powder Aggregate Contents

Abstract

This investigation is focused on the evaluation of the fresh and hardened states of a distinctive and novel self-compacting concrete (SCC) with two distinct nonpozzolanic contents, i.e., gray phyllite (PLT) and marble + granite powders. Although the phyllite is commonly commercialized in SCC preparation, a distinctive mixture using the phyllite and marble + granite contents is used. Marble and granite beneficiation residues (MGBR) come from an ornamental stone industry, and their inappropriate discard drastically damage the environment. To characterize the starting additions and SCC specimens, SEM (scanning electron microscope) and XRD (x-ray diffraction) techniques are used. The resulting mechanical behavior favors the SCC with the MGBR content, which is ∼40% higher than the SCC with the PLT content. Additionally, when the mechanical strength-to-relative cost ratio is determined, the SCC with the MGBR content shows a value between 1.1 and 1.3 times higher than the SCC containing phyllite. This suggests that an economical aspect concatenated with mechanical performance and environmentally friendly aspect is induced. The SCC with the MGBR represents a promising alternative for the traditional self-compacting concrete.