Effect of copper slag on the mechanical properties and fracture energy of fiber reinforced cementitious composite

One of the most important weakness points of concrete is its drawback in tension and cracking. The use of fibers in concrete greatly reduces this disadvantage. Fiber reinforced cementitious composite (FRCC) is a type of fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) that does not contain coarse aggregate and has only fine aggregate. In fact, the high level of cement in FRCC is a problem for the environment. This problem can be solved with using different cement replacement materials as a part of cement. In this study, the effect of copper slag on the mechanical properties and fracture energy of fiber reinforced cementitious composite (FRCC) containing polypropylene fiber is investigated. Silica fume and copper slag were replaced as a part of cement. For this purpose, a control mix without silica fume and copper slag, 4 mixes containing 5%, 7%, 10% and 15 % silica fume, and 4 mixtures with 5%, 10%, 20% and 30 % copper slag were casted. In specimens containing silica fume, the ones with 15% of it had the highest quantity of fracture energy, compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths. Among the samples having copper slag, the ones containing 10% and 20% of it had the highest values above. It is worth noting that some binary mixtures containing both copper slag and silica fume were prepared too. Comparing the results of all the mentioned mixtures, it is concluded that the best results belong to the binary mixture containing both 15 % copper slag and 15 % of silica fume.