Incorporation of fillers from marble and tile wastes in the composition of self-compacting concretes

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the incorporation of wastes from marbles and tiles factories as mineral additives to self-compacting concrete (SCC) and to substitute at 100% the known additions (limestone filler, fly ash, ⋯). The use of these wastes can help produce economical self-compacting concretes (SCCW) and reduce the amount of wastes dumped into landfills. The influence of these wastes on the behavior of SCC in the fresh state is highlighted in comparison to a reference self-compacting concrete (SCCR) made with limestone filler while their effects on mechanical strength and ultrasonic testing are evaluated in the hardened state in comparison to the properties of both SCCR and an ordinary vibrated concrete (OVC). The compositions of the different concretes considered in the present study were formulated and optimized using the "Concrete LabPro2" software. The results of testing carried out on fresh concretes (slump flow test, V-funnel test, L-Box test and sieve stability test) show that the incorporation of wastes from marbles and tiles factories gives a satisfactory fluidity to the SCCW and their resistance to segregation, approaching those of SCCR. The mechanical properties of the tested concretes were evaluated by ultrasonic testing and by simple compressive testing and tensile splitting of cylindrical specimens (160 mm × 320 mm) at the curing ages of 3, 7, 14 and 28 days. The results show that the speed of wave propagation through the concrete and the compressive and tensile strengths are clearly sufficient for the self-compacting concretes incorporating wastes from marbles and tiles factories compared to those of SCCR and OVC.