Abstract
Low-purity calcined clays are becoming increasingly popular as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) due to their wide availability, and potential ability to reduce the carbon footprint associated with concrete production. To ensure the longevity of concrete structures, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms governing long-term durability when using new SCM-containing cement formulations. Understanding of the carbonation resistance of cements containing calcined clay is limited, and this remains a concern. This research is part of the collaborative USA-UK project “Response to CO2 exposure of concrete with natural supplementary cementitious materials” (RENACEM), aiming to understand the connections among the properties of natural clays, activation treatments to enhance their chemical reactivity, and the response to CO2 exposure of cements, mortars and concretes produced with them. The current study presents the carbonation resistance results of binary and ternary materials containing calcined clays upon exposure to natural CO2 concentrations under controlled relative humidity (57% RH), resembling in-service conditions. Four cement compositions were studied, including a CEM I (OPC), CEM I with 30% limestone substitution (L30), CEM I with 30% calcined clay substitution (CCF30) and CEM I with 30% calcined clay + 15% limestone (CCF30L15). The carbonation performance of these binders was monitored using pH indicators on cement paste and mortar specimens. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with EDX was used to identify the carbonation front. The results demonstrate that chemical alterations identified using analytical techniques can be used to characterise the reaction front of these materials, offering more insights into the effect of carbonation beyond potential changes in alkalinity of these systems.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Dhandapani, Y., Sakthivel, T., Santhanam, M., et al.: Mechanical properties and durability performance of concretes with Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3). Cem. Concr. Res. 107, 136–151 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2018.02.005
von Greve-Dierfeld, S., Lothenbach, B., Vollpracht, A., et al.: Understanding the carbonation of concrete with supplementary cementitious materials: a critical review by RILEM TC 281-CCC. Mater Struct Constr 53 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-020-01558-w
Saillio, M., Baroghel-Bouny, V., Pradelle, S., et al.: Effect of supplementary cementitious materials on carbonation of cement pastes. Cem. Concr. Res. 142 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2021.106358
Angst, U.M.: Steel corrosion in concrete – Achilles’ heel for sustainable concrete? Cem. Concr. Res. 172, 107239 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2023.107239
196–1:2016 E (2014) Methods of testing cement Part 1: Determination of strength
Dhandapani, Y., Santhanam, M.: Assessment of pore structure evolution in the limestone calcined clay cementitious system and its implications for performance. Cem. Concr. Compos. 84, 36–47 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2017.08.012
Georget, F., Soja, W., Scrivener, K.L.: Characteristic lengths of the carbonation front in naturally carbonated cement pastes: Implications for reactive transport models. Cem. Concr. Res. 134, 106080 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2020.106080
Collier, N.C., Heyes, D.W., Butcher, E.J., et al.: Gaseous carbonation of cementitious backfill for geological disposal of radioactive waste: nirex reference vault backfill. Appl. Geochem. 106, 120–133 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2019.04.020
L’Hôpital, E., Lothenbach, B., Scrivener, K., Kulik, D.A.A.: Alkali uptake in calcium alumina silicate hydrate (C-A-S-H). Cem. Concr. Res. 85, 122–136 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2016.03.009
Acknowledgments
This study was sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through award 1903457 and the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through grant EP/T008407/1 and EP/W021811/1.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Dhandapani, Y., Black, L., Junger, M.C.G., Bernal, S.A. (2024). Understanding the Carbonation Performance of Cements Containing Calcined Clay. In: Banthia, N., Soleimani-Dashtaki, S., Mindess, S. (eds) Smart & Sustainable Infrastructure: Building a Greener Tomorrow. ISSSI 2023. RILEM Bookseries, vol 48. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-53389-1_65
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-53389-1_65
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-53388-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-53389-1
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)