Addition of biochars to concrete mixtures in replacement of portland cement for development of sustainable concrete.****

Quality Concrete Ltd.致力于在混凝土搅拌中使用可持续材料。目前，他们高达20%的混凝土是由波特兰水泥和水的混合物制成的糊状物结合在一起的。这种糊状物将砾石、岩石和沙子（骨料）结合在一起，在潮湿时形成具有延展性的、易于使用的混凝土混合物，在干燥时形成坚固的、防水的产品。波特兰水泥是通过在非常高的温度（约1450°C）下在能量密集型磨机中加热苛性石灰石和粘土来制造的。这种燃烧过程使用大量的燃料，通常是煤或石油焦。 生产波特兰水泥的过程是不可持续的，暴露于其中的许多成分是潜在的危险，因此混凝土行业对可持续的，更健康的替代品非常感兴趣。由于波特兰水泥是赋予混凝土理想物理特性的主要成分，因此不能完全替代，但可以使用某些添加剂来减少波特兰水泥的用量。最近的研究表明，可重复使用的天然副产品，如由生物质制成的木炭，可以在混凝土制造过程中实施，取代高达10%的波特兰水泥，以生产轻质，更可行的混凝土产品，具有均匀的孔隙率和增加的综合强度。该提案的重点是“确定当地生物质来源（螃蟹，林业）转化为生物炭，并与优质混凝土合作，测试添加各种浓度和类型的生物炭后所得混凝土的适用性，稳定性，强度和耐久性。

Quality Concrete Ltd. is devoted to implementing sustainable materials for their concrete mixing. Currently up to 20 % of their concrete is held together by a paste made from a mixture of Portland Cement and water. This paste binds the gravel, rock, and sand (aggregates) together to give a malleable, easy to use concrete mixture when wet, and a strong, water resistant product when dry. Portland cement is manufactured by heating caustic limestone with clay in an energy intensive mill at very high temperatures (about 1450°C). This firing process utilizes high quantities of fuel, typically coal or petroleum coke. The process of generating portland cement is unsustainable and exposure to many of its ingredients is potentially dangerous therefore the concrete industry in very interested in sustainable, healthier alternatives. Since Portland cement is a main ingredient that gives the concrete its ideal physical characteristics, it can not be completely replaced, but certain additives can be used to reduce the amount of Portland cement used. Recent studies have shown that reusable natural by-products like charcoal made from biomass can be implemented in the concrete manufacturing process by replacing up to 10% of Portland cement to produce a lightweight, more feasible, concrete product with uniform porosity and increased comprehensive strength. This proposal focus' on identifying local biomass sources (crab, forestry) for conversion to biochar and collaboration with Quality Concrete to test for applicability, stability, strength and durability of the resulting concrete with the addition of various concentrations and types of biochar.