Development and application of energy-efficient, sustainable concretes

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Self-compacting concrete mixes for Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) residential construction have been developed and pilot tested. In these "eco-concretes" 60-70% of the binder is fly-ash; also, these concretes contain from 65-100 kg less portland cement per cubic metre, compared to traditional concretes used for house construction. The eco-concretes have had preliminary laboratory and field testing and the work has culminated in the recent successful construction of a duplex in Calgary using one of our mixes, ICF construction, ready-mix concrete batching, transportation and pumping. Further research and development is warranted.      The long-term objectives of the proposed research are: (1) to establish that the blended cements and concretes used for eco-concretes work, and can be adopted by CSA and practitioners with confidence; (2) evaluate chemical and microstructural properties of the various mixes under specified conditions in order to explain the their performance, and thus substantiate the scientific basis of performance and credibility for practical application; (3) establish mix-proportioning guidelines and appropriate construction practices relevant to a wide variety of structural and non-structural applications of eco-concretes.      The short-term objectives of the proposed research are: (1) establish specific environments within which the new cement/concrete eco-concrete combinations can be used; (2) assess the eco-concretes for susceptibility to attack by the environment; (3) assess the various mix designs in the laboratory for robustness against mistakes / abuses made during batching, placing, finishing and curing in the field; (4) establish other potential applications for the eco-concretes that have been, and will be, developed - especially other applications where there is exposure to the environment; (5) establish the potential for using high volumes of other wastes (e.g. unclassified fly ash, natural pozzolans) in eco-concretes; (6) further establish the viability of eco-concrete construction in the field (through collaborative work with construction industry support and support by other granting / contract agencies).