Project C7.2018: Alternative Cementitious Materials (ACMs) For Durable and Sustainable Transportation Infrastructures

Project Abstract:

Concrete produced with Alternative Cementitious Materials (ACMs) often exhibits superior mechanical performances and lower carbon footprint compared to those produced with Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). ACMs also allow utilizing high-volume of industrial by-products as the binding materials instead of OPC, thus offering an environment-friendly alternative of traditional concrete. However, the durability performances of ACMs can vary depending on the selection of the reaction route (i.e., strength gaining mechanism). As a result, any definite evidence on the service life performances and life cycle cost of these materials are still in infancy. To address these challenges, we will investigate the durability performances of ACM concrete in comparison to those of traditional OPC-concrete, specifically for typical cold-climatic regions. Two ACM systems will be evaluated in this project, including (i) alkali-activated binders and (ii) CO₂ activated binders.

Sponsors:
University Transportation Centers Program, Department of Transportation
University of Maine

Implementation of Research Outcomes:
Our hope is that current MaineDOT standard (2020 MaineDOT Standard Specifications) will be modified following our research. This study recommends using “Formation Factor” for permeability/durability control rather than current surface electrical resistivity criterion. Also, it was recommended to set some restrictions for free shrinkage of concrete based on its application. Finding these limits could be the subject of our next research.

Impacts and Benefits of Implementation:
This project is in its initial research phase. Impacts and benefits of the research will be reported after the implementation phase.

Related Links:
Coming Soon

Downloadable Documents