Interaction between global warming potential, durability, and structural properties of fiber-reinforced concrete with high waste materials inclusion

Abstract

Concrete production requires significant consumption of raw materials and is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. Because concrete is placed in varied, damage-inducing conditions, its durability performance is crucial for allowing the material to reach its intended service life and avoid premature replacement. In this multidisciplinary research program, a concrete is developed for both reduced environmental impact and enhanced durability compared to conventional solutions. These goals are realized through a novel combination of design parameters: recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) that increase reuse of construction demolition waste; a high-volume fly ash (HVFA) matrix that further incorporates industrial waste products while reducing portland cement content; and internal fiber reinforcement that increases composite crack resistance. The resulting high-performance concrete, designated as green hybrid fiber-reinforced concrete (GHyFRC), contains 39% waste materials by volume and is evaluated by life cycle assessment (LCA), exposure to a corrosive environment for 4.3 years, and structural loading. Corrosion activity of steel rebar embedded within GHyFRC was reduced through the low chloride permeability of a high-volume fly ash matrix and fiber reinforcement that limited crack propagation, maintaining the low designed matrix permeability. GHyFRC can be a more sustainable alternative to concrete under certain conditions by contributing to greater retention of flexural strength after corrosion has begun and lowering global warming potential (GWP) when normalized by flexural strength.