Performance and sustainability overview of alkali-activated self-compacting concrete
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REVIEW
Performance and sustainability overview of alkali‑activated self‑compacting concrete Adeyemi Adesina1 Received: 23 April 2020 / Revised: 30 June 2020 / Accepted: 25 July 2020 © Zhejiang University Press 2020
Abstract Self-compacting concrete (SCC) has gained huge attention recently due to its high workability which eliminates the need for vibration and makes its placement easier compared to conventional concrete. However, the production of Portland cement (PC) which is the main binder in SCC is energy-intensive and one of the major contributors to the world’s carbon dioxide emission. On the other hand, the use of alkali-activated binders (AABs) in concrete has been reported to reduce the energy consumption and carbon emission of concrete by more than 50%. Therefore, the use of AAB as a binder in SCC can help to achieve an eco-friendlier concrete. This paper gives a short overview of the performance of SCC made with AABs. The effect of various factors on the performance of alkali-activated self-compacting concrete (AASCC) was discussed and a simplified sustainability assessment of AASCC was carried out. Discussions from this paper showed that AASCC with acceptable fresh and hardened properties can be achieved with the proper selection of materials. In addition, the evaluation of the embodied energy and carbon of different types of concrete showed that AASCC is more sustainable. However, more research in this field is required to encourage its universal acceptance and large-scale application. Keywords Concrete · Self-compacting concrete · Alkali-activated concrete · Sustainability · Clean technology Abbreviations AAB Alkali activated binders AAC Alkali activated concrete AASCC Alkali activated self-compacting concrete CP Ceramic powder FA Fly ash HRWRA High-range water-reducing admixture MK Metakaolin NH Sodium hydroxide NS Sodium silicate PC Portland cement PCC Portland cement concrete RHA Rice husk ash SL Slag QP Quartz powder
* Adeyemi Adesina [email protected] 1
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Windsor, Windsor, Canada
Introduction The last decade has seen increasing research and use of alkali-activated binders (AAB) as a sustainable alternative to the conventional Portland cement. AABs are sustainable compared to PC as the high-energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission from the production of the PC is eliminated [1, 2]. AABs are made up of aluminosilicate precursors, mostly waste materials, and activated with an alkali media to produce alkali-activated concrete (AAC) [3–5]. In general, AAC has been found to have excellent mechanical and durability performance compared to Portland cement concrete (PCC) [6–8]. The advancement in concrete technology has also led to the development of a special type of concrete called self-compacting concrete (SCC). As the name implies, SCCs are very flowable and able to consolidate under their weight [9]. In addition, to their self-compacting ability, they possess high passing and filling ability coupled with
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