Impact of Fine Slag Aggregates on the Final Durability of Coal Bottom Ash to Produce Sustainable Concrete

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Please do all the changes highlighted in the attached paper 

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Thank you for reviewing our manuscript entitled “Impact of Fine Slag Aggregates on the Final Durability of Coal Bottom Ash to produce Sustainable Concrete” and for your useful comments. We have carefully read your suggestions which they have significantly contributed to the improvement of the quality of the revised manuscript. The authors greatly appreciate the time and effort taken by the reviewers to carefully revise our manuscript. Below, please find the detailed responses to each of the comments. The corresponding changes are also shown in the submitted revised version of the manuscript in Microsoft Word.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

The manuscript “Impact of ultra-fine slag aggregate on the durability and mechanical strength of coal bottom ash concrete mixes” presents new mixtures for concretes using Alcoofine and coal bottom ashes. The paper is interesting and relevant, all methodology is clear. Thus, the paper is suitable for publishing in Sustainability. However, some suggestions must be taken into account before publishing.

 

1.      The manuscript is too long. Some parts should be transferred to supplementary material. A total of 24 figures and 11 tables is excessive. The discussion must short as well.

2.      The conclusion should be concise and all findings must be in only one paragraph.

3.      Table 8 is not aligned in the page.

Author Response

Thank you for reviewing our manuscript entitled “Impact of Fine Slag Aggregates on the Final Durability of Coal Bottom Ash to produce Sustainable Concrete” and for your useful comments. We have carefully read your suggestions which they have significantly contributed to the improvement of the quality of the revised manuscript. The authors greatly appreciate the time and effort taken by the reviewers to carefully revise our manuscript. Below, please find the detailed responses to each of the comments. The corresponding changes are also shown in the submitted revised version of the manuscript in Microsoft Word.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

This study explored the possibility of enhancing the performance of coal bottom ash concrete by utilizing slag-based fillers/aggregates. In my opinion this study promotes the idea of using two solid wastes of industries in concrete production.  I recommend its minor revision:

1)     Simple terms are used in the technical papers (i.e., recuperate, is not common)

2)     Try to abbreviate the term coal bottom ash and ultra-fine slag in the abstract.

3)     The review in Table 1 is un-necessary. I do not recommend adding summary review studies within true research articles. This can avoid un-necessary references in this paper. The introduction must concise and present correct information (few and specific papers can be discussed in short sentences).

4)     IS 10262:2009 and IS 456:2000 insert their citations.

5)     These statements rising number of health issues, such as bladder, skin, and lung cancer in communities near disposal sites, are not suitable for the materials section. Such information can be included in the health related papers, medical works.

6)     The properties of cement are very common try exclude them and mention the relevant standard that cement satisfies.

7)     2.2. section is too verbose. These types of information is suitable for mix design section.

8)     More effort is needed to enhance the discussion of the results. There are a lot of parameters which are not discussed in details i.e., the role of fine GGBS, as indicated by the title of this research

9)     Figures and Tables missing the unit days for time (ie.,28-days, 90-days, and 180-days).

10)  Conclusion must be crisp and short.

Author Response

Thank you for reviewing our manuscript entitled “Impact of Fine Slag Aggregates on the Final Durability of Coal Bottom Ash to produce Sustainable Concrete” and for your useful comments. We have carefully read your suggestions which they have significantly contributed to the improvement of the quality of the revised manuscript. The authors greatly appreciate the time and effort taken by the reviewers to carefully revise our manuscript. Below, please find the detailed responses to each of the comments. The corresponding changes are also shown in the submitted revised version of the manuscript in Microsoft Word.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf