Issued Date: Nov. 16, 2011 Prepared by Shun Shing, Vietnam Rep.

Office Sources: National Slag Association & Slag cement Association

Granulated blast furnace slag introduction

Shun Shing Group

Special points of interest: Improved compressive and flexural strength. Improved resistance to sulfate attack. Reduced alkali-silica reaction Reduced heat of hydration in mass concrete Reduced chloride permeability.

Slag Introduction
Slag cement, or ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS), has been used in concrete projects in the United Sates for over a century. Earlier usage of slag cement in Europe and elsewhere demonstrates that long -term performance is enhanced in many ways. The American Society of Testing and Material (ASTM) defines blast furnace slag (BFS) as the non-metallic product consisting essentially of silicates and alumina silicates of calcium and other bases, that is developed in a molten condition simultaneously with iron in a blast furnace. Using slag in cement is a useful method to make concrete better and more consistent. Among the measureable improvements are:

Better concrete workability Easier finished Higher compressive and flexural strengths Lower permeability Improved resistance to aggressive chemicals More consistent plastic and hardened properties Lighter color

Increasing productivity Reducing costs Protecting the environment

Relevant Terminology: Granulated blast-furnace slag: The glassy, granular material formed granulated when molten blast-furnace slag is rapidly chilled by immersion in water. Also referred to as granules. Ground granulated lastfurnace slag (GGBFS): A hydraulic cement formed when granulated blast-furnace slag is ground to a suitable fineness. Commonly referred to as Slag cement.

Inside this issue: Slag introduction Chemical properties Physical properties 1 1 2

Compressive and flexural ength Mitigating sulfate attack Mitigating alkalisilica reaction Shun Shing Profile

2 3 3

Chemical properties
The principle constituents of blast furnace are silica, alumina, calcium and magnesia, which comprise 95% of slags total makeup. Analysis of most BFS fall within the ranges that are shown in next column. Typical chemical constituents % SiO2 Al2O3 CaO MgO 32-42 S 7-26 Fe2O3 % 1-2 1-1.5 0.2-1.0

32-45 MnO 5-15

Issued Date: Nov. 16, 2011 Prepared by Shun Shing, Vietnam Rep. Office Sources: National Slag Association & Slag cement Association

Granulated blast furnace slag introduction

Shun Shing Group

Special points of interest: Improved compressive and flexural strength. Improved resistance to sulfate attack. Reduced alkali-silica reaction Reduced heat of hydration in mass concrete Reduced chloride permeability.

Physical properties
Ground Granulated Blast Furnace (GGBF) Slag. When GGBF slag is mixed with water, initial hydration is much slower as compared with Portland cement. Therefore, Portland cement or alkali salts are used to increase the reaction rate. In the hydration process, GGBF slag produces calcium silicate hydrate cement paste. GGBF slag mixtures with Portland cement typically result in greater strength and reduced permeability. Color. Depend on percent of Slag in cement, but GGBF slag is considerably lighter in color than most Portland cement and will produce a lighter concrete end product. Occasionally, concrete containing GGBF slag may exhibit a bluegreen coloration. While this coloration effect seldom occurs, it is attributed to a complex reaction of the sulfide sulfur in the GGBF slag with other compounds in the cement and will diminish with age.

Compressive and flexural strength

Slag cement increases the compressive and flexural strength of conventional concrete (See figure 1 & 2) and it is often a vital component in producing high strength concrete. 28-day strengths generally increase as the percentage of slag cement increases, up to about 50 percent slag cement as a percent of cementitious material. When Portland cement reacts with water, it forms calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2). CSH is the glue that provides strength and holds concrete together, Ca(OH)2 is a byproduct of Portland cement hydration that does not contribute to strength. When slag cement is used as part of the cementitious material in concrete mix, it reacts with water and Ca(OH)2 to form more CSH. The additional CSH densifies the concrete matrix, enhancing strength. Slag cement has a particularly significant effect on the flexural strength of concrete. flexural strength is one of the principal factors in concrete pavement design. Increased flexural strength is evident in figure 2, where 50 percent slag cement achieved a 20 percent strength improvement, even though total cementitious content was decreased by 52 lb/cu yd. Improved flexural strengths are attributed to the increased denseness of paste and improved paste-aggregate bond.

Issued Date: Nov. 16, 2011 Prepared by Shun Shing, Vietnam Rep. Office Sources: National Slag Association & Slag cement Association

Granulated blast furnace slag introduction

Shun Shing Group

Special points of interest: Improved compressive and flexural strength. Improved resistance to sulfate attack. Reduced alkali-silica reaction Reduced heat of hydration in mass concrete Reduced chloride permeability.

Mitigating sulfate attack

Sulfate attack is a common form of concrete deterioration. It occurs when concrete comes in contact with water containing sulfate (SO4) One of the most common ways of protecting against sulfate attack is to reduce a alumina content by limiting the C3A in Portland cement (with C3A between 5-8%) and type V Portland cement (with C3A less than 5%) have been specified for moderate and serve sulfate environments, respectively. The use of slag cement is also and extremely effective way of reducing the potential for sulfate attack1.
1. ACI 201.2R-92, Guide to durable concrete; American concrete institute, Farmington Hills, Michigan, 1992.

tem. 2. Slag cement reduces concrete permeability, making it harder for sulfate to penetrate into concrete. Slag cement reacts with excess Ca(OH)2 to form additional calcium silicate hydrate gel (the glue that provides strength and holds concrete together). This decreases the total amount of Ca(OH)2 in the system.

3.

How does slag cement mitigate sulfate attack? The use of slag cement reduces the likelihood of sulfate attack in three ways: 1. Slag cement does not contain C3A, so its addition in concrete dilutes the total amount of C3A in the sys-

Mitigating alkali-silica reaction

Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is a chemical reaction between the alkalis in Portland cement and certain siliceous aggregates. The aggregates, when placed in a highly alkaline solution and in the presence of water and calcium, will expand and a gel will begin to form. As the aggregate particle expands, it causes the concrete to crack. As the concrete deteriorates, more water enters to fuel the reaction. This cycle continues until the concrete deteriorates past the point of serviceability. Mitigating ASR. It is very difficult, if not impossible to halt the ASR reaction once it begins. Two strategies that have been used are to limit the ingress of water into the concrete or to draw lithium down into the concrete. Limiting the ingress of water into concrete is extremely difficult and usually proves impractical. The use of lithium has been found to be effective but is very costly. The best way to mitigate ASR is to prevent its occurrence through the proper use of materials in the concrete mixture. There are several ways to mitigate ASR. One option is to use cement with alkalis of less than 0.6%.

Issued Date: Nov. 16, 2011 Prepared by Shun Shing, Vietnam Rep. Office Sources: National Slag Association & Slag cement Association

Granulated blast furnace slag introduction

Shun Shing Group

Special points of interest: Improved compressive and flexural strength. Improved resistance to sulfate attack. Reduced alkali-silica reaction Reduced heat of hydration in mass concrete Reduced chloride permeability.

Mitigating alkali-silica reaction (cont)

Another solution is to limit or prohibit the use of reactive aggregates. In reality, sources of both low alkali cements and nonreactive aggregates are limited, so it is often impractical to specify either of these options. A third alternative is to specify slag cement when concrete will contain reactive aggregates. The use of slag cement will reduce the potential of ASR occurring by: Reducing the total alkalis in the system thus reducing the alkali-silica ratio.

Consuming alkalis in the hydration process, making them unavailable for the alkali silica reaction. Reducing pore size and mobility of the alkali. Reducing the pore liquid that reacts with the aggregate. Figure 3 shows the ability of slag cement to mitigate ASR with a highly reactive aggregate and a Portland cement with relatively high alkali content.

Cement using slag will result in effective mitigation of ASR

Figure 3. Effect of slag cement on Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASCM C227)

Shun Shing Group

SHUN SHING GROUP, VIETNAM REP. OFFICE Room 1201. Floor 12, Indochina Park Tower No. 04, Nguyen Dinh Chieu Str. Dist 1, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam Phone: +84 8 2221 6695 Fax: + 84 8 2221 6696 E-mail: ss.hcmc@shunshinggroup.com SHUN SHING GROUP commenced its journey on January 1988 when the first group company Shun Shing Trading Ltd was incorporated in Hong Kong. Over the years SHUN SHING has grown right along with the Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese economy and evolved as a successful Bulk commodity Trading and Investment Group Company. Today, the Group has a yearly turnover of around HK$ 4 Billion with 1100 dedicated professionals to provide services to its clients in ASIA and EUROPE. The Group has achieved recognition as a leader in import and export of commodities like Cement, Clinker, Gypsum, Limestone, Rock Phosphate, Coal, Blast Furnace Slag, Fly Ash, Chemical Fertilizers, Industrial Chemicals, Petrochemicals, Iron Ore, Sulphur and Industrial Paper. Close alliance with the major independent Cement producers in Asia helped SHUN SHING to continue to achieve turnover in Cement and Clinker above 4.0 Million Tons per year. In Cement production and sales, the Group's own Brand "SEVEN RINGS" emerged as one of the pre-

www.shunshinggroup.com

mium brand in Bangladesh.

Main businesses in Vietnam

In Vietnam, Shun Shing started commencing the market since 2010 and operates mainly in the cement industry. Shun Shing is a big partner of Vicem. Shun Shing had signed the purchasing and marketing contract with Vicem for exporting Vietnam clinker to overseas market. Besides that, Shun Shing purchases some materials for the cement industry as Black stone, Silica from Vietnam. Shun Shing also provided back to the Vietnam market materials for the cement industry as Blast furnace slag, Gypsum, and Steam coal. Key advantages of success of Shun Shing are Shun Shing always have good partners, with the properly business guideline, keeping credibility with clients, with dedicated and dynamic staffs. Additional, Shun Shing has been in many places in Asia, Head office bases in Hong Kong, offices, companies in Bangladesh, China, India, UAE, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. Shun Shing also owns ships. Pacific World Shipping Pte. Limited (PWSL) is primarily focused on providing freight services to global clients with special focus on ocean going transportation of raw materials Cement, Steel, Agro, Fertilizer and Power Generation industries

Supplying Slag, Gypsum & Coal And Buying Clinker, Silica