As the main waste product of iron and steel industry, steel slag possesses considerable cementitious activity, making it a promising alternative to cement in Cement Stabilized Macadam (CSM). However, CSM was inevitably exposed to groundwater and rainwater when served as the pavement base course, leading to concerns over poor early strength and potential pollutant leakage, which are the main factors that may hinder the widespread utilization of steel slag in CSM base. To address these issues, this study investigated the feasibility of using steel slag powder to produce CSM. Steel Slag Powder-Cement Stabilized Macadam (SSCSM) samples were prepared and the hydration products, microstructure, mechanical properties, water damage resistance and heavy metal ions leaching behavior were investigated. The results show that the nucleation effect of steel slag powder accelerates the early hydration, but the C-S-H produced by hydration is not sufficient to form a stable hydration product network, so the microstructure of SSCSM is looser than that of CSM. The addition of steel slag powder improved the shrinkage performance of SSCSM, and the mechanical properties and heavy metal ion leaching concentration of SSCSM meet the engineering application requirements when the steel slag powder replacement level does not exceed 30 %. It was also found that the addition of steel slag powder promoted the development of pores in SSCSM samples after dry-wet cycles, resulting in the reduction of water damage resistance. Compared with conventional CSM, the use of SSCSM can not only reduce 4 % of raw material cost and 23.5 % of equivalent CO₂ emission, but also mitigate the heavy metal ions leaching risk associated with steel slag, making it an effective and sustainable solution for steel slag recycling.

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Generally, rejuvenators are used to supply missing components of aged asphalt, reverse the aging process, and are widely used in asphalt maintenance and recycling. However, compared with traditional rejuvenators, bio-oil rejuvenators are environmentally friendly, economical and efficient. This study looks into the effect of the three different bio-oils, namely sunflower oil, soybean oil, and palm oil, on the physical properties, rheological properties and chemical components of aged asphalt at different dosages. The asphalt physical properties and Dynamic Shear Rheological (DSR) test results show that with the increase in bio-oil, the physical properties and rheological properties of rejuvenated asphalt are close to those of virgin asphalt, but the high-temperature rutting resistance needs to be further improved. The results of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) show that the carbonyl and sulfoxide indices of rejuvenated asphalt are much lower than those of aged asphalt. Moreover, the rejuvenation efficiency of aged asphalt mixed with sunflower oil is better than that with soybean oil and palm oil at the same dosage. @en

Aimed to address the low utilization rate of steel slag (SS) and its challenge in resource utilization in China, this study developed ternary geopolymers made by high-content (50%) SS together with fly ash (FA) and granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS). The effects of GBFS content (0–40%) and curing methods (water curing, standard curing, sealed curing, and heat curing) on the working performance and microstructure of geopolymers were investigated. Microscopic analysis such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TG-DTG), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were utilized to investigate the hydration process and products of geopolymers under different curing conditions and GBFS content. The results indicated that when the GBFS content increased from 0% to 40%, the fluidity of the mixture decreased by 11.7%, the initial setting time of the geopolymer slurry decreased by 76%, and the geopolymer mortar's 28d compressive strength increased from 31.9 MPa to 60.6 MPa. At room temperature, the geopolymer mortar's 28d compressive strength was higher under standard curing (70.8 MPa) compared to water curing (57.5 MPa) and sealed curing (68 MPa). The geopolymer mortar cured at 60 °C for 24 h exhibited the highest 28d compressive strength (76.3 MPa). However, excessively high curing temperatures or prolonged durations led to more shrinkage cracks and reduced the compressive strength. The microscopic analysis revealed that the main gel products of ternary geopolymer were C-(A)-S-H gel. The amount of gel products is directly related to the strength of geopolymers. The developed ternary geopolymer has the potential to promote the large-scale utilization of SS in the concrete industry, making a significant contribution to sustainable development.

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As a kind of solid waste, using Prestressed High-Strength Concrete Pile Waste Concrete (PPWC) as the replacement for limestone filler in asphalt concrete can not only reduce the accumulation of PPWC and increase its utilization but also avoid the increased road construction costs and environmental degradation associated with limestone mining. This study aims to investigate the effect of using PPWC filler to replace limestone filler on the road performance of asphalt concrete. Firstly, PPWC was ground into filler particles with a diameter less than 0.075 mm. The particle characteristics such as surface morphology, particle size distribution and chemical composition of PPWC filler and limestone filler were compared. Then, PPWC filler was used to replace limestone filler with different volume fractions to prepare asphalt concrete, and the water damage resistance, high-temperature rutting resistance, low-temperature crack resistance, fatigue resistance and adhesion performance of asphalt concrete were tested. The results showed that PPWC filler has a smaller particle size and rougher surface than limestone filler, and it contains Ca(OH)₂ produced by hydration. The addition of PPWC filler can effectively improve the mechanical properties of asphalt concrete without reducing its water damage resistance. PPWC filler can improve the high-temperature rutting resistance and low-temperature crack resistance of asphalt concrete, but reduce its low-temperature fatigue resistance. The low content of PPWC filler will enhance the adhesion between asphalt mortar and aggregate. However, when the content of PPWC filler exceeds 50%, Ca (OH)₂ in PPWC will reduce the adhesion between acid asphalt mortar and alkaline basalt aggregate. Therefore, the use of PPWC as filler in asphalt mixtures provides a reliable solution for the sustainable development of road materials.

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Microwave heating is an effective method to achieve autonomic crack healing in asphalt mixtures, and the use of microwave-absorbing materials can largely improve this healing efficiency. As a solid waste, coal gangue contains metal oxides, which shows the possibility of microwave heating. In order to further promote the application of coal gangue in the microwave healing of asphalt mixtures, this study looks into the synergistic effect of basalt and coal gangue powder (CGP) on the microwave heating self-healing of an asphalt mixture. The mechanical performance, water stability, low-temperature crack resistance and microwave healing efficiency of the asphalt mixture were investigated using the immersion Marshall test, standard Marshall test, Cantabro test and semi-circular bending (SCB), and healing tests, respectively. The results indicated that the addition of CGP in asphalt mixture can improve the microwave heating speed, which also showed a significant advantage in water stability and fracture energy recovery. The research results will further promote the utilization rate of coal gangue.@en

Using solid waste to replace limestone filler in asphalt concrete can not only reduce the cost of road construction, but also improve the utilization rate of solid waste. In this study, PHC pile waste concrete (PPWC) was innovatively used to replace limestone filler in asphalt mixture and its effect on the physical and rheological properties of asphalt mastics was studied. Firstly, PPWC was ground into filler particles with a diameter less than 0.075 mm. The physical properties, particle characteristics and chemical composition of PPWC filler and limestone filler were compared. Asphalt mastics were prepared with different filler-asphalt volume ratios (20%, 30% and 40%) and the physical properties, high-temperature rheological properties and low-temperature cracking resistance of asphalt mastics were tested. The experimental results showed that the surface of PPWC filler is rougher and has lower density and smaller particle size than limestone filler. When the filler content is the same, PPWC filler asphalt mastics have lower penetration and ductility, higher softening point than limestone filler asphalt mastics, and the viscosity of PPWC filler asphalt mastics is more sensitive than limestone filler asphalt mastics. PPWC filler asphalt mastics demonstrated superior high-temperature stability, but poorer low-temperature cracking resistance compared to limestone filler asphalt mastics. In conclusion, PPWC fillers can be used to replace limestone fillers in asphalt mixtures. The finding of this study will provide a new solution for the construction of eco-friendly roads.

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