CIAM-UTC-REG55
Research Team
Alexander S. Brand, Virginia Tech
Farshad Rajabipour, Penn State
Gopakumar Kaladharan, Penn State
Funding Sources
Virginia Tech Fed Share — $75,000
Virginia Tech Match Share — $75,000
Penn State Federal Share — $58,461
Penn State Match Share — $58,963
Total Project Cost — $267,424
Agency ID or Contract Number
69A3551847103
Start and End Dates
03/10/2022 —
Project Description
Research Significance and Potential for Impacting State of Practice. With an estimated 50% of all concrete produced containing some CFA [6,7] and when CFA demand for use in concrete is increasing [1] while its supply is decreasing [9,10], it is evident that viable alternatives are necessary now and in the future for sustaining the production of durable and sustainable (low CO2) concrete. This research will develop a ternary cement (e.g., ASTM C595 Type IT cement) that 3 combines the widely available high SO3 CFA and quarry fines to reduce the portland cement content of concrete by 50% or more. This new cement will be compliant with ASTM C595 and as such, will be immediately usable by concrete producers. Additionally, the availability of high SO3 CFA and quarry fines would supplement the existing supply of conventional SCMs and allow the industry to proceed with its construction operations uninterrupted while meeting ambitious sustainability targets with respect to CO2 emissions. In addition, there could be materials cost savings, even after beneficiation of these SCMs, given that they are currently discarded as waste materials. This research will explore the design and performance evaluation of a new ASTM C595 Type IT blended cement that includes high SO3 CFA and quarry fines.
The specific objectives are:
1. Characterization of high SO3 CFA and quarry fines in terms of their composition, mineralogy, physical properties, and pozzolanic reactivity.
2. Designing and developing a new Type IT cement containing high SO3 CFA and quarry fines to reach at least 95% of the compressive strength of a control Type IT cement at 28 days.
3. Evaluating the impact of this new cement on fresh properties of concrete, including workability, setting time, and admixture performance.
4. Studying the durability performance of concrete made with the new cement blend.