Effect of graphite tailings as substitute sand on mechanical properties of concrete
Hongbo Liu, Jing Xue, Ben Li, Junfeng Wang, Xuetao Lv, Jing Zhang
Abstract
In this article, the mechanical properties and material characterisation of graphite tailings concrete, in which graphite tailings are replaced as sand were investigated. The results showed that the concentration of graphite tailings has influence on the comprehensive performance of concrete. Simultaneously, the graphite tailings have an important improvement on reducing the mesostructure distribution and micro-crack density of cement-based materials. However, high content of graphite tailings can result in the growth on defects and significantly reduces strength properties. How to solve the adverse effect of high content of graphite tailings on reduced mechanical strength of concrete or taking full advantage of this material property and characteristics of graphite tailings is an urgent problem to be solved in the future research for practical engineering applications such as road subgrades, coastal breakwaters and so on.