PARTIAL REPLACEMENT OF CEMENT WITH ALCCOFINE AND MARBLE DUST FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE CONCRETE

Abstract

Concrete is the most extensively employed building material globally, with cement as its principal binding agent. However, cement manufacturing is highly energy-intensive and contributes to approximately 8% of global CO₂ emissions, posing serious environmental and sustainability challenges. Moreover, the extraction of raw materials required for cement further leads to natural resource depletion. To address these concerns, this study investigates the partial replacement of cement with Alccofine—a high-performance ultrafine slag material—and Marble Dust, a waste by-product from the marble industry. Various concrete mixes were prepared with 10% and 20% Alccofine, combined with 5% and 10% Marble Dust, and their compressive strength was evaluated at 7 and 28 days. The results indicate that mixes incorporating Alccofine and Marble Dust show marked improvement in strength compared to the control mix (21.5 MPa at 7 days and 30.2 MPa at 28 days). Notably, the mix containing 20% Alccofine and 5% Marble Dust achieved the highest strength, with 24.1 MPa at 7 days and 34.2 MPa at 28 days, demonstrating a significant enhancement in performance. This study confirms that sustainable concrete can be developed using industrial by-products without compromising strength, promoting both environmental conservation and improved material efficiency.