Smart, Durable, and Sustainable: Designing Concrete Structures for Tomorrow

使用生态高效的建筑材料的好处是显而易见的，但相对较少的是已知的长期性能的可持续结构受到现实的环境和结构负荷条件相结合，在极端的加拿大气候。与传统混凝土相比，结构混凝土可以使用再生混凝土骨料和低水泥含量来设计减少环境足迹，从而提供显著的可持续性效益，但由于对结构性能和耐久性的担忧，它们在该领域的使用受到限制。 需要开发新的设计方法，以克服普遍的看法，可持续混凝土本质上是劣于传统的结构应用混合设计。拟议的研究计划旨在解决这些重要的知识差距，以确保加拿大继续成为可持续发展的领导者，而不影响其关键基础设施的长期耐用性。 拟议研究的长期目标是更好地了解和改善加拿大基础设施项目背景下的可持续混凝土的整体性能，并通过基于性能的决策，促进改善资源和关键基础设施的管理。 将从耐久性和结构行为方面对可持续混凝土材料进行评估，并将为混凝土桥梁的设计、监测、评估和修复制定指导方针。 该研究计划将特别关注以下短期目标：1）描述可持续混凝土配合比设计的行为，并优化其在加拿大结构中的使用; 2）评估可持续混凝土构件的短期和长期结构性能，有和没有共同的损坏机制和修复措施; 3）评估具有耐腐蚀纤维增强聚合物加固的可持续混凝土构件的结构性能;以及4）结合先进和低成本的传感技术，以提高我们收集准确的实验室测量结果的能力，并为混凝土结构开发有效的低成本现场监测系统。 详细的培训计划和方法，介绍了使用NSERC发现补助金基金在五年内，以支持和发展12个高素质的人员谁将成为知识的领导者，在他们的领域，并能够在未来几十年的独特的工程挑战。该计划的结果将使工程师能够设计出更智能，更耐用，更可持续的混凝土结构，并能够满足后代的需求。

The benefits of using eco-efficient building materials are evident, yet relatively little is known regarding the long-term performance of sustainable structures subjected to combined realistic environmental and structural loading conditions in extreme Canadian climates. Structural concrete can be designed with reduced environmental footprints using recycled concrete aggregates and low cement content providing significant sustainability benefits compared to conventional concrete, but their use in the field has been limited due to concerns about structural performance and durability. New design methodologies need to be developed to overcome the prevailing perception that sustainable concrete is inherently inferior to conventional mix designs for structural applications. The proposed research program aims to address these important knowledge gaps to ensure that Canada continues to be a leader in sustainable development without compromising the long-term durability of its critical infrastructure. The long-term aim of the proposed research is to better understand and improve the overall performance of sustainable concrete in the context of Canadian infrastructure projects, and to contribute towards the improved management of resources and critical infrastructure through performance-based decision making. Sustainable concrete materials will be evaluated in terms of durability and structural behaviour, and guidelines will be developed for the design, monitoring, assessment and rehabilitation of concrete bridges. The research program will focus specifically on the following short-term objectives: 1) characterize the behaviour of sustainable concrete mix designs and optimize them for use in Canadian structures; 2) evaluate the short and long-term structural performance of sustainable concrete members, with and without common distress mechanisms and rehabilitation measures; 3) evaluate the structural performance of sustainable concrete members with corrosion-resistant fibre-reinforced polymer reinforcement; and 4) incorporate advanced and low-cost sensing technologies to improve our ability to collect accurate lab measurements and develop efficient low-cost field monitoring systems for concrete structures. A detailed training plan and methodology are presented to describe the use of the NSERC Discovery Grant funds over five years to support and develop 12 Highly Qualified Personnel who will become knowledge leaders in their field and able to take on the unique engineering challenges of the coming decades. The results of the proposed program will enable engineers to design concrete structures that are smarter, more durable and more sustainable, and able to meet the demands of future generations.