Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Transportation Geotechnics, cilt.60, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Modern railway infrastructure demands high-performance materials to withstand increasingly heavy loads while meeting urgent sustainability objectives. This comprehensive review evaluates the feasibility of using Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) and Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steel slags as sustainable alternatives to traditional natural aggregates like granite and basalt. Using a “source-to-performance” approach, the study examines the metallurgical origins of slags and connects them to key physicochemical properties and mechanical behavior in railway ballast applications. Experimental data indicate that steel slag outperforms natural aggregates in nearly all mechanical aspects. Its high specific gravity, angularity, and surface roughness enhance particle interlocking and shear strength. Under cyclic loading, steel slag demonstrates superior stiffness (resilient modulus) and significantly lower permanent deformation and particle breakage. This review critically examines the challenge of volumetric instability caused by free-CaO and free-MgO, concluding that proper aging protocols (3–18 months) effectively mitigate expansion risks while forming a carbonate shield that minimizes heavy-metal leaching. From an environmental perspective, incorporating steel slag into the superstructure supports circular-economy principles and has the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of aggregate production by up to 60%. Validated by full-scale field trials that show reduced track settlement and extended maintenance intervals, this study confirms that properly processed steel slag is a durable, mechanically better, and environmentally responsible resource for modern railway tracks.