Preparation of Ultra-High Performance Concrete Using Phosphorous Slag Powder

Reactive powder concrete (RPC) is an ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). Cement and silica fume content of RPC are generally rather high compared to the conventional concrete. The aim of this paper is to decrease the cement content of RPC by using phosphorous slag powder. Firstly the effect of grinding time on the activity index of phosphorous slag was investigated. And then, the mix proportion design of this UHPC containing phosphorous slag powder and silica fume was done through orthogonal design. The results indicate that the utilization of phosphorous slag powder in RPC is feasible when the dosage of phosphorous slag powder is about 35% (by weight of the binder) and the water-binder ratio is less than 0.18. By substituting phosphorous slag powder for a part of cement and keeping the water-binder ratio at about 0.14, UHPC specimens whose content of mineral admixtures, including phosphorous slag powder and silica fume, was about 40%~50% (by weight of the binder) were obtained after they had been cured in 80 °C water for 72 hours. The compressive and flexural strength of those specimens was more than 150 MPa and 20 MPa respectively.