Experimental Investigation on GGBS–Glass Powder Blended Mortar

The presence of environmental problems in the construction industry, arising from the high cement content and the limited availability of river sand, is quite pronounced. In this regard, this research experimentally focuses on the joint use of Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) as a cement-replacement material at various proportions in the range of 10–50% by weight of cement, as well as the utilization of waste glass powder at proportions in the range of 5–25% in place of natural sand. The prepared mortar was tested at a binder-to-sand ratio of 1:3 with respect to its compressive strength and durability against exposure to acid and sulphate attack. Findings from this experiment showed that the mixture with 30% GGBS had higher long-term compressive strength than the control mixture. Increasing this proportion with the help of glass powder past the initial replacement percentage of natural sand showed improved strength up to an optimal level of 20%, past which it marginally reduced in strength difference. However, the mass loss in the exposed specimens was remarkably reduced, confirming higher durability against attack from hydrochloric acid and magnesium sulphate solutions. In this respect, it becomes effective in indicating the combined effect of GGBS with glass powder, thus offering sustainable, durable, and efficient mortar materials with respect to eco-friendly construction works.