Development and evaluation of environment-friendly lightweight self consolidating concrete: from material characterisation and durability assessment to structural performance

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Construction, one of Canada's leading industries, significantly contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases and the depletion of natural resources. Construction activities consume more raw materials by weight than any other industrial sector. As much as 50% of all materials extracted from the earth's crust are transformed into construction materials and products. In addition, the built environment accounts for the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions (about 40%) in terms of energy end usage. Development of new environment-friendly building materials can lead to lower greenhouse gas emission, greater consumption of waste, durable construction, optimal sustainable use of renewable resources, enhancement of material recyclability, and overall sustainable development.The proposed research program aims to contribute to the reduction of the negative environmental impacts and the depletion of natural resources of the construction industry by developing and evaluating a novel class structural lightweight self-consolidating concrete (LWSCC). This environment-friendly concrete will be developed by incorporating natural, commercial, and recycled lightweight aggregates as well as industrial by-products such as fly ash and slag as supplementary cementitious materials. The research will evaluate LWSCC properties from fresh stage to performance as large-scale structural members under simulated and actual conditions. It is anticipated that the proposed program will enable leading edge research and training of highly qualified personnel in a broad range of real-world infrastructure problems, including sustainability of natural resources, recycling, and durability, along with a very high level of performance in extremely demanding environments. The resulting research can have a major impact on the design, construction practices, and management related to infrastructure and can help promote Canadian technology and expertise worldwide, thus bringing important economic benefits to Canada.