Assessment of sustainable cement composites with waste material incorporation: Resistance to sulphate attack and property changes

Institute for Sustainable and Circular Construction, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Kosice, Vysokoskolska 4, 04200 Kosice, Slovakia

^* Corresponding author: miriama.cambal.holosova@tuke.sk

Abstract

This study investigates the performance of cement composites incorporating waste materials—blast furnace slag, bypass dust, eggshells, and recycled glass—as partial replacements for cement, following their exposure to sulphate attack in a corrosion chamber. It assesses changes in compressive strength, water absorbency, specific surface area, and degree of hydration post-exposure. A point evaluation system was used to compare the samples based on their resistance to the aggressive environment and the resultant property changes. While scoring differences among the samples were minimal, the reference sample without waste, slag sample and eggshells sample exhibited the best overall performance, whereas the glass- containing sample was the least effective. These results enhance our comprehension of the feasibility of employing specific waste materials as sustainable alternatives in cement composites.