REUSE OF INDUSTRIAL ASH RESIDUES IN CEMENT-BASED MATERIALS

Many studies in literature have already attempted to develop alternative binders replacing ordinary cement, aiming at solving the environmental problems linked to the high carbon footprint of cement industry, and at the same time, reducing the amount of industrial solid waste currently landfilled. The re-use of industrial waste in construction industry is seen, indeed, as an attractive alternative to waste disposal, which allows also to encapsulate potential toxic elements in a stable matrix. This is the case of electric arc furnace dust (EAFD), a metal-rich waste that is generated during steel-making process, that contains high amount of iron and zinc, and in less quantities, cadmium, lead and chromium. In this work, the results of an experimental campaign aimed at applying such hazardous waste in cement-based materials are reported, demonstrating that, from the technical point of view, cement replacement up to 10% are feasible.