A Comparative and Synergistic Study on the Performance of Reinforced Concrete Incorporating Basalt Powder and Recycled Steel Filings

Abstract

The pursuit of high-performance and sustainable construction materials has driven significant research into supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and industrial by-products. This study presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of the individual and combined effects of basalt powder (BP) and recycled steel filings (SF) on the mechanical and durability properties of reinforced concrete. An experimental program was designed incorporating four concrete mixtures: a control mix (M0), mixes with 15% cement replacement by BP (M1) and SF (M2) individually, and a hybrid mix with 10% BP and 10% SF (M3). The properties evaluated include workability, density, compressive strength (at 7, 14, and 28 days), splitting tensile strength, and water absorption. Results indicate that both additives enhance concrete performance, albeit through distinct mechanisms. The BP mix (M1) demonstrated superior durability characteristics, reducing water absorption by 10.8% compared to the control, attributed to pozzolanic activity and pore refinement. The SF mix (M2) showed the most significant improvement in mechanical strength, with a 17.1% increase in 28-day compressive strength, owing to improved packing density and crack-arresting capabilities. The hybrid mix (M3) exhibited a synergistic effect, achieving the optimal balance of properties, including the highest compressive strength (43 MPa), tensile strength (4.0 MPa), and the lowest water absorption (5.4%). This suggests that the combination of BP and SF leverages the microstructural densification of the former and the mechanical reinforcement of the latter. The findings advocate for the integrated use of these sustainable materials to produce concrete with enhanced performance and a reduced environmental footprint, promoting the recycling of industrial waste.

Introduction

Reinforced concrete is essential to modern infrastructure but faces challenges such as brittleness, cracking, durability issues, and high environmental impact due to cement-related CO? emissions. To address both performance and sustainability concerns, this study investigates the use of basalt powder (BP) as a supplementary cementitious material and recycled steel filings (SF) as a micro-reinforcement, individually and in a hybrid system.

Basalt powder, rich in reactive silica and alumina, exhibits pozzolanic activity that enhances microstructural densification, reduces porosity, and improves durability. Steel filings, a metallic waste product, act as a physical filler and micro-reinforcement, improving strength, toughness, and crack resistance while supporting circular economy principles. Although both materials have been studied separately, their combined (hybrid) effect remains underexplored.

The research compared four concrete mixes: a control mix, BP-only (15% cement replacement), SF-only (15% fine aggregate replacement), and a hybrid mix (10% BP + 10% SF). All mixes were tested for fresh properties, mechanical strength, and durability indicators. Results showed that all modified mixes outperformed the control. The BP mix significantly improved durability and later-age strength, while the SF mix enhanced early-age strength and tensile performance. The hybrid mix demonstrated the best overall performance, achieving the highest compressive and tensile strengths and the lowest water absorption, clearly indicating a synergistic effect.

Mechanistically, BP improves concrete through pozzolanic reactions and pore refinement, while SF enhances load transfer and crack-bridging through physical reinforcement. In the hybrid system, BP creates a dense, durable matrix that effectively embeds and protects SF, while SF reinforces the improved matrix, resulting in superior strength and durability.

Conclusion

Based on the experimental investigation and analysis, the following conclusions can be drawn: 1) Both basalt powder (BP) and recycled steel filings (SF) are effective in enhancing concrete properties. BP excels at improving durability by reducing water absorption by 10.8% through pore refinement driven by pozzolanic activity. SF excels in improving mechanical strength, increasing 28-day compressive strength by 17.1% through physical filler and crack-bridging effects. 2) A synergistic effect was observed in the hybrid mix containing both BP (10%) and SF (10%). This mix (M3) achieved the highest performance in all tested categories: compressive strength (43 MPa, +22.9%), splitting tensile strength (4.0 MPa, +25.0%), and the lowest water absorption (5.4%, -16.9%). 3) The synergy is attributed to the complementary mechanisms: BP creates a dense, impermeable matrix that efficiently transfers stress and protects the SF, while the SF provides robust micro-reinforcement to this enhanced matrix. 4) The use of these materials promotes sustainable construction by reducing cement consumption and recycling industrial by-products, without compromising—and in fact enhancing—the technical performance of concrete.

References

[1] Mehta, P. K., & Monteiro, P. J. M. (2014). “Concrete: Microstructure, Properties, and Materials” (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. [2] Schneider, M. (2019). The cement industry on the way to a low-carbon future. Cement and Concrete Research, 124, 105792.? [3] Su, Q., Latypov, R., Chen, S., Zhu, L., Liu, L., Guo, X., & Qian, C. (2025). Life cycle assessment and environmental load management in the cement industry. Systems, 13(7), 611.? [4] Juenger, M. C., Snellings, R., & Bernal, S. A. (2019). Supplementary cementitious materials: New sources, characterization, and performance insights. Cement and Concrete Research, 122, 257-273.? [5] Raghunath, S. (2025). Development of sustainable cement composites: understanding the effect of cellulosic additives and waste biomass (Doctoral dissertation, University of British Columbia).? [6] Çelik, Z., Bingöl, A. F., & Gül, R. (2022). “Mechanical and durability properties of sustainable concrete incorporating basalt powder”. Journal of Cleaner Production, 380, 134856. [7] Almeida, M. P. B., Gomes, L. D. S. S., Silva, A. R., Tamashiro, J. R., Paiva, F. F. G., Silva, L. H. P., & Kinoshita, A. (2025). Basalt Rock Powder in Cementitious Materials: A Systematic Review. Resources, 14(6), 86.? [8] Singh, N., & Singh, S. P. (2020). “Recycling of steel machining waste in concrete: A review on mechanical and durability properties”. Journal of Building Pathology and Rehabilitation, 5 (1), 17. [9] Naidu, G. D. R., Gaddam, M. K. R., Maganti, T. R., Anurag, A., & Chowdary, L. (2026). “Energy-efficient ternary blended alkali-activated hybrid fiber reinforced concrete with recycled aggregates and phase change materials”. Journal of Building Pathology and Rehabilitation, 11(1), 25.? [10] Wang, L., Li, Y., & Zhang, J. (2021). “Influence of basalt powder on mechanical and microstructural properties of concrete”. Cement and Concrete Composites, 115, 103853. [11] Al-Salloum, Y., Siddiqui, N. A., & Abbas, H. (2020). “Effect of basalt powder on durability of concrete in aggressive environments”. Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, 32 (7), 04020145. [12] Li, H., Zhang, Y., & Chen, L. (2019). “Shrinkage and durability properties of concrete with basalt powder as supplementary cementitious material”. Cement and Concrete Research, 123, 105786. [13] Almeida, M. P. B., Gomes, L. D. S. S., Silva, A. R., Tamashiro, J. R., Paiva, F. F. G., Silva, L. H. P., & Kinoshita, A. (2025). Basalt Rock Powder in Cementitious Materials: A Systematic Review. Resources, 14(6), 86.? [14] Reddy, P., & Kumar, V. (2019). “Utilization of steel waste in concrete: Mechanical and durability properties”. International Journal of Sustainable Construction Engineering and Technology, 10 (1), 23–32. [15] Kumar, B. N., Reddy, A. M., & Vineela, P. S. (2025). Development of sustainable high performance self compacting concrete using construction & demolition waste and steel slag. Discover Civil Engineering, 2(1), 1-22.? [16] Ahmed, M., Khan, R., & Iqbal, S. (2022). “Mechanical performance of reinforced concrete incorporating steel filings”. Construction and Building Materials, 345, 128230. [17] Ramadoss, P., Li, L., Fatima, S., & Sofi, M. (2023). Mechanical performance and numerical simulation of high-performance steel fiber reinforced concrete. Journal of Building Engineering, 64, 105424.? [18] Khan, M. I., Alhozaimy, A. M., & Abbas, H. (2023). “Impact and abrasion resistance of concrete modified with recycled steel fibers and filings”. Structures, 47, 1665–1676. [19] Qin, X. (2025). Enhancing structural performance of concrete structures with recycled steel fibers through improved mechanical, dynamic, and shear properties (Doctoral dissertation, University of Birmingham).? [20] El Machi, A., El Berdai, Y., Mabroum, S., Safhi, A. E. M., Taha, Y., Benzaazoua, M., & Hakkou, R. (2024). Recycling of mine wastes in the concrete industry: a review. Buildings, 14(6), 1508.? [21] Singh, N., & Singh, S. P. (2020). “Recycling of steel machining waste in concrete: A review on mechanical and durability properties”. Journal of Building Pathology and Rehabilitation, 5 (1), 17. [22] Hussein, A., Faraj, R., & Saleh, M. (2023). “Synergistic effect of basalt powder and steel waste on high-performance concrete”. Materials Today: Proceedings, 72, 2450–2457.

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Mohmed M. Ali Alabead. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.