GGBFS was first used in lime mortar production as early as the 1700's. In Germany, it has been interground with Portland cement since 1892, and in other parts of the world it has been added to concrete as a separate constituent since the early 1950's. Although some of the GGBFS produced is used stabilizing mine tailings and industrial waste materials, the rest is used in Portland cement concrete.

Most chemical admixtures perform well in plain Portland cement mixtures and in Portland cement and fly ash concrete, it is not surprising that they provide similar performance when used in slag concrete.

Since there is little or no carbon in GGBFS, concrete containing it usually responds well to air entrainment. However, if the GGBFS is ground excessively fine, additional amounts of air-entraining agent may be required to achieve the specified air content.