Abstract
The article presents studies of plain concretes prepared based on a quaternary binder containing various percentages of selected supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). The possibilities of nanotechnology in concrete technology were also used. An additional important environmental goal of the proposed solution was to create the possibility of reducing CO2 emissions and the carbon footprint generated during the production of ordinary Portland cement (OPC). As the main substitute for the OPC, siliceous fly ash (FA) was used. Moreover, silica fume (SF) and nanosilica (nS) were also used. During examinations, the main mechanical properties of composites, i.e., compressive strength (fcm) and splitting tensile strength (fctm), were assessed. The microstructure of these materials was also analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). In addition to the experimental research, simulations of the possible reduction of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere, as a result of the proposed solutions, were also carried out. It was found that the quaternary concrete is characterized by a well-developed structure and has high values of mechanical parameters. Furthermore, the use of green concrete based on quaternary binders enables a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. Therefore quaternary green concrete containing SCMs could be a useful alternative to plain concretes covering both the technical and environmental aspects. The present study indicates that quaternary binders can perform better than OPC as far as mechanical properties and microstructures are concerned. Therefore they can be used during the production of durable concretes used to perform structures in traditional and industrial construction.
Highlights
For many years, the cement and concrete industry has faced a number of challenges, which include, among other things, the depletion of fossil fuel reserves, constant shortage of raw materials for production of composites, or abnormal growth in demand for this type of construction material, i.e., the concrete
In quaternary concrete Q2 and Q3, it was observed that both strengths of the concrete reduced with increased fly ash (FA) percentage level from 5 to 15%, which can be attributed to the properties of FA that suppress the heat of hydration of cement and, in turn, requires a longer curing period for pozzolanic reactions [47,149,150]
It can be clearly stated that the ordinary Portland cement (OPC) substitution by each proposed composition of active pozzolan mineral additives brings measurable benefits in the results of the basic mechanical properties of the quaternary green concrete
Summary
The cement and concrete industry has faced a number of challenges, which include, among other things, the depletion of fossil fuel reserves, constant shortage of raw materials for production of composites, or abnormal growth in demand for this type of construction material, i.e., the concrete. The production of ordinary concrete in its traditional form has a negative reflection practically in all of the fields listed above. Manufacturing of concrete consumes a huge quantity of natural resources, mainly for the preparation of raw materials to burnout of Portland clinker, and as an aggregate for concrete [19–21]. The production of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) involves considerable energy consumption, both thermal and electrical [22–24], and evident air pollution by greenhouse gas (GHG) emission [25–28]
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