Elastic properties of cement-stabilised mixes with steel slag

In this study, we evaluated the elastic and mechanical properties of a new type of cement-stabilised material made with steel slag, varying the content of cement and steel slag. To study the elastic properties of these mixes, we measured their density, compressive strength and ultrasound pulse velocity at curing ages of 7, 28 and 90 days. The aggregate type and curing age greatly affected the elastic properties and varied much depending on the cement content. The Poisson's ratio chosen in analyses had little influence on the dynamic modulus. Various expressions given by building codes were used to predict the elastic properties of the mixtures. These codes generated very different values of the static modulus of elasticity, making most of them unsuitable for predicting the elastic properties of cement-stabilised materials. Using our experimental data, we provide the best combination of existing equations to predict elastic properties, and we conclude that measuring the ultrasound pulse velocity is a suitable way to predict the mechanic and elastic properties of cement-stabilised materials.