ABSTRACT
Concrete infrastructures and road pavements over the years have faced serious problems from climate change, which calls for creative and long-term solutions. Due to lack of understanding regarding the long-term durability of waste steel chip-reinforced concrete on road pavement in the face of rapid climate change, a significant threat to the structural integrity and service life of road pavement is inevitable. Therefore, this study investigated the durability of waste steel chip-reinforced concrete on road pavement under exposed climate change conditions, and also evaluated its potential for sustainable construction applications. WSCRC samples were subjected to extreme climate change conditions, such as rainfall, sunshine, humidity etc., as it relates to real-life scenario. Various tests for durability carried out for this study, were the Compressive Strength Test and Aggregate Impact Value test. The ideal mix design parameters and waste steel chip contents were determined. A nominal mix of 1:2:4 was used and a water-cement ratio of 0.55 was maintained all through. The results were; at 5% replacement of coarse aggregate with waste steel, the maximum compressive strength obtained was 23.8N/mm2 at 28 days curing period under exposed condition, and 18.1N/mm2 at 14 days curing period under unexposed condition. Also, the AIV of the waste steel chip was 23.33%, while the AIV of the coarse aggregate was 26.06%. This indicated that when compared to conventional concrete, WSCRC improved the resilience and durability against deterioration caused by the climate on structures and road pavement. This study showed that excessive exposure affects the structural integrity, strength and durability of concrete infrastructures and long-term performance of road pavement. Therefore, a moderate exposure should be considered to ensure a long-lasting lifespan of infrastructures and road pavement. Also, findings showed that, it is suitable for low loads and traffic pavements such as pedestrian walkways, parking lots, etc. Therefore, the application of waste steel chips can be a sustainable material for use in the construction industries for partial replacement at a reasonable percentage in concrete mixture
