Mu, Xinli, Zhang, Siqi, Xu, Dong, Li, Ying, Ni, Wen and Jin, Fei  ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0899-7063
2026.
Influence of water-to-binder ratio on the properties and hydration of solid waste-based ultra-high performance concrete.
Construction and Building Materials
537
, 147084.
10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2026.147084
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Abstract
Concrete production is associated with significant CO2 emissions and natural resource depletion. In this study, a fully solid waste-based ultra-high performance concrete (SW-UHPC) formulation was developed. Refining slag, hot stifle steel slag, blast furnace slag and desulfurised gypsum were used as cementitious materials, while roller steel slag sand was used as aggregate. The effects of the water-to-binder (w/b) ratio (ranging from 0.18 to 0.22) on the workability, mechanical properties, hydration and microstructure of SW-UHPC were systematically investigated. At lower w/b ratios, the restricted water availability limited the overall degree of hydration but concurrently produced a denser microstructure: unhydrated solid-waste particles acted as load-bearing micro-aggregates and the hydration products formed filled the interparticle pores, yielding a maximum 28-day compressive strength of 113.11 MPa at w/b = 0.18. At higher w/b ratios, enhanced hydration increased the formation of ettringite and C-(A)-S-H gel but also elevated matrix porosity, progressively reducing compressive strength. Flexural strength exhibited a non-monotonic response, reaching a peak of 37.22 MPa at w/b = 0.20, reflecting an optimal balance between matrix compactness and workability-dependent fibre dispersion. These results demonstrate that the w/b ratio governs SW-UHPC mechanical performance by regulating hydration continuity, microstructural densification and rheology-dependent fibre dispersion, rather than by maximising hydration degree alone. The use of these solid waste-derived constituents enabled a reduction of > 50% raw-material-related carbon emissions and material cost compared with conventional UHPC, while achieving effective valorisation of multiple industrial by-products.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Date Type: | Publication |
| Status: | Published |
| Schools: | Schools > Engineering |
| Additional Information: | RRS applied |
| Publisher: | Elsevier |
| ISSN: | 0950-0618 |
| Date of First Compliant Deposit: | 10 July 2026 |
| Date of Acceptance: | 13 June 2026 |
| Last Modified: | 10 Jul 2026 09:30 |
| URI: | https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/188043 |
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