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Sustainability
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The Production of Environmentally Friendly Cement and Concrete
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The Production of Environmentally Friendly Cement and Concrete

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Building".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2023) | Viewed by 3951

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tadas Dambrauskas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Silicate Technology, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Kaunas University of Technology, LT - 50254 Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: calcium silicate hydrates; BET analysis; environmentally friendly cement; hydrothermal synthesis; X-ray powder diffraction; thermal analysis; adsorption; calcium phosphates
Dr. Anatolijus Eisinas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Silicate Technology, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Kaunas University of Technology, LT - 50254 Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: hydrothermal synthesis; hydration and its products; cement; synthetic additive and application in cement chemistry; calcium silicate hydrates; calcium aluminate hydrate; microcalorimetry analysis; thermal stability; heavy metals ions adsorption and immobilization in cement stone; XRD, STA, BET, FT-IR analysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The connection between climate change and human activity is no longer in question. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main greenhouse gas emitted through human activities. In 2015, global CO2 emissions reached about 38 Gt and continue to grow. The cement industry accounts for approximately 5-7% of global CO2 emissions. A modern cement plant will release about 900 kg of CO2 per ton of cement clinker produced; CO2 is released from the calcination process and from the combustion of fuels in the kiln. Portland cement manufacturing not only releases considerable amounts of carbon dioxide, but it is also an energy-intensive process (4.7–6.3 GJ/t energy). For these reasons, finding new methods to reduce the cement fraction in concrete has been an important driver for development in the cement industry.

Many studies have been carried out in the cement industry to reduce the negative impact of OPC production on the environment. The main approaches used to solve the problems are: (1) reducing the use of cement-based materials; (2) replacing fossil fuels with renewable fuels; (3) maximizing the thermal efficiency of the kiln; and (4) changing the cement composition. However, the application of these technologies only partially reduces the negative impact on the environment, and it is likely that these approaches will reach their practical limits within the next decade. For these reasons, new solutions will be needed in the future. For these reasons, new solutions, which are critical to enable significant changes in the production of cement and concrete, are needed in the 21st century. These include:

  1. Three-dimensional (3-D) printing;
  2. Synthetic concrete admixtures (plasticizers);
  3. Computationally designed composites for cement compositions;
  4. Big data and smart materials;
  5. Alternative binder systems.

Thus, in this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • The production/synthesis of environmentally friendly binders, concrete, and their components;
  • The characterization of unhydrated and hydrated binders;
  • The modeling of binders and concrete;
  • Resistance to corrosion;
  • Pozzolans in concrete;
  • 3D printing;
  • Alternative binder systems;
  • Computationally designed composites for cement compositions;
  • Big data and smart materials.

Dr. Tadas Dambrauskas
Dr. Anatolijus Eisinas
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • OPC
  • environmentally friendly cement
  • concrete
  • wastes
  • CO2 emissions
  • pozzolans
  • hydration
  • microcalorimetry
  • 3D printing
  • big data
  • smart materials

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2400 KiB  
Article
The Living Concrete Experiment: Cultivation of Photosynthetically Active Microalgal on Concrete Finish Blocks
by Julia Nerantzia Tzortzi, Rola A. Hasbini, Matteo Ballottari and Francesco Bellamoli
Sustainability 2024, 16(5), 2147; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16052147 - 5 Mar 2024
Viewed by 832
Abstract
Climate change is a global critical issue. High carbon dioxide emissions and concentrations are important factors. In the construction field, concrete contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, a pioneering team of researchers has developed a new “living concrete” construction finish material capable [...] Read more.
Climate change is a global critical issue. High carbon dioxide emissions and concentrations are important factors. In the construction field, concrete contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, a pioneering team of researchers has developed a new “living concrete” construction finish material capable of scrubbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The material consists of ASTM (ASTM is the acronym for American Society for Testing Materials)-certified concrete block(s) with Chlorella vulgaris cultivated on the surface. Chlorella vulgaris is a common micro-algae with photosynthetic activity; these species require water, nutrients, light, and carbon dioxide to live while releasing oxygen in return. The “living concrete” block was developed in dedicated laboratories; its photosynthetic activity was quantified. Proposed as an external application assembly to a new or an existing building envelope—up to 3 m high, i.e., anthropogenic street-level emissions, or installed on roof(s) in horizontal mode—this concrete/biological composite material reverses carbon dioxide emissions and may present itself as a valid solution for climate change issues in urban moderate climates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Production of Environmentally Friendly Cement and Concrete)
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19 pages, 4307 KiB  
Article
Investigating the Impact of Polymer and Portland Cement on the Crack Resistance of Half-Warm Bituminous Emulsion Mixtures
by Muna Al-Kafaji, Shakir Al-Busaltan, Mustafa Amoori Kadhim, Anmar Dulaimi, Behrooz Saghafi and Hayder Al Hawesah
Sustainability 2023, 15(21), 15256; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152115256 - 25 Oct 2023
Viewed by 731
Abstract
Cold mix asphalt (CMA) is emerging as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional hot mix asphalt (HMA). It offers advantages such as lower costs, reduced energy demands, decreased environmental impacts, and improved safety aspects. Among the various types of CMA, the cold bitumen [...] Read more.
Cold mix asphalt (CMA) is emerging as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional hot mix asphalt (HMA). It offers advantages such as lower costs, reduced energy demands, decreased environmental impacts, and improved safety aspects. Among the various types of CMA, the cold bitumen emulsion mixture (CBEM) stands out. The CBEM involves diluting bitumen through emulsification, resulting in lower bitumen viscosity. However, this process has certain drawbacks, including extended setting (curing) times, lower early strength, increased porosity, and susceptibility to moisture. This study focuses on enhancing CBEM properties through the utilization of low-energy heat techniques, such as microwave technology, and the incorporation of a polymeric additive, specifically acrylic. These innovations led to the development of a novel paving technology known as a half-warm bitumen emulsion mixture (HWBEM). The research was conducted in two phases. First, the study assessed the impact of low-energy heating on the CBEM. Subsequently, it explored the combined effects of low-energy heating and the addition of an acrylic polymer. CBEM samples containing ordinary Portland cement (OPC) as an active filler were utilized in the sample manufacturing process. The effectiveness of these techniques in enhancing crack resistance was evaluated by analysing the results of the indirect tensile strength test. Notably, CBEM samples containing an amount of 2.5% of acrylic polymer and OPC exhibited the highest resistance to cracking. Furthermore, significant improvements were observed in their volumetric and mechanical properties, comparable to those of HMA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Production of Environmentally Friendly Cement and Concrete)
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12 pages, 2398 KiB  
Article
Expanded Clay Production Waste as Supplementary Cementitious Material
by Rimvydas Kaminskas and Brigita Savickaite
Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 11850; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511850 - 1 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 765
Abstract
Global warming stands as one of the most significant challenges facing our planet, primarily due to the substantial emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Among the major contributors to these emissions is the cement industry, which ranks as one of the largest [...] Read more.
Global warming stands as one of the most significant challenges facing our planet, primarily due to the substantial emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Among the major contributors to these emissions is the cement industry, which ranks as one of the largest sources of CO2 pollutants. To address this issue, a potential solution involves partially substituting cement with alternative materials, particularly waste generated by other industries. The aim of this study was to investigate the opportunity of using an industrial waste which originates from the cleaning of flue gas in the production of expanded clay as a supplementary cementitious material. The influence of expanded clay kiln dust on the properties of Portland cement was estimated by XRD, thermal, calorimetry and compressive strength analysis. The expanded clay kiln dust was used as received and it was additionally thermally activated at 600 °C. It was determined that the original dust can be distinguished by average pozzolanic activity; meanwhile, the pozzolanic activity of additionally activated waste increased by one third. Portland cement was replaced with both types of waste in various proportions. It was found that the additive of the investigated waste accelerates the primary hydration of Portland cement, generates the pozzolanic reaction, and incites the formation of calcium silicate hydrates and hydrates containing aluminum compounds. The addition of up to 25 wt.% of activated expanded clay kiln dust leads to a higher compressive strength of samples of Portland cement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Production of Environmentally Friendly Cement and Concrete)
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13 pages, 2622 KiB  
Article
Effect of Hydrothermal Curing on the Hydration and Strength Development of Belite Cement Mortar Containing Industrial Wastes
by Dovile Rubinaite, Tadas Dambrauskas, Kestutis Baltakys and Raimundas Siauciunas
Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9802; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129802 - 19 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1158
Abstract
This paper describes the impact of hydrothermal conditions on the strength properties and hydration processes of belite cement mortar samples. The belite-rich binder was synthesized by sintering the initial mixture of raw materials (granite cutting waste, the silica-gel waste from AlF3 production, [...] Read more.
This paper describes the impact of hydrothermal conditions on the strength properties and hydration processes of belite cement mortar samples. The belite-rich binder was synthesized by sintering the initial mixture of raw materials (granite cutting waste, the silica-gel waste from AlF3 production, and natural materials) in a high-temperature furnace at a temperature of 1150 °C for 2 h. The prepared clinker consists of larnite, mayenite, srebrodolskite, ye’elimite, and gehlenite. To control hydration kinetics and optimize the hardening of belite cement mortar, the produced clinker was blended with 7.5% of gypsum. The mechanical properties were assessed by curing the standard prisms (following the EN 196-1 standard, cement/sand = 1:3, W/C= 0.67) under water-saturated conditions in a stainless steel autoclave. The curing process was performed in a temperature range of 90 °C to 200 °C at various hydrothermal curing durations (6–48 h). The results indicated that the curing conditions highly influence the compressive strength evolution of belite cement mortar and the formed mineralogy of hydrates. The highest compressive strength value (exceeded 20 MPa) was obtained at 200 °C, i.e., when the main belite cement mineral was entirely hydrated and recrystallized into 1.13 nm tobermorite. The microstructural evolution and the phase assemblage during the hydrothermal curing were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Production of Environmentally Friendly Cement and Concrete)
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