In order to investigate the application of iron ore tailings aggregate（IOTA）in dam concrete，this paper analyzes the influence of IOTA on the compressive strength，chloride ion permeability，sulfate erosion resistance and abrasion resistance of concrete through the comparison with normal aggregate（NA）.The results of the study show that：（1）in terms of mechanical properties，the condition of approximately equal cement material consumption，the compressive strength of IOTA concrete is almost the same as that of NA concrete；（2）in terms of durability，IOTA concrete exhibits more superior performance，and its chloride ion permeability，sulfate erosion resistance and abrasion resistance are all higher than NA concrete，and the durability index of IOTA concrete shows an upward trend with the extension of curing time.Overall，IOTA can be used as an excellent concrete aggregate for dam construction，which can not only achieve the efficient utilization of resources，reduce land occupation and environmental burden，but also meet the requirements of mechanical properties and durability of dam concrete.