Concrete and Sustainability


Book Description

Concrete is by far the most common building material- accounting for twice the volume of all other such materials combined. With such a huge global economic impact, the industry has a correspondingly considerable responsibility to use it sustainably. Written by experts who pioneered research into environmental issues and concrete, Concrete and Sust




Supplementary Cementing Materials in Concrete


Book Description

Supplementary cementing materials (SCMs), such as fly ash, slag, silica fume, and natural pozzolans, make a significant difference to the properties of concrete but are rarely understood in any detail. SCMs can influence the mechanical properties of concrete and improve its durability in aggressive environments. Supplementary Cementing Materials in Concrete covers the chemical, physical, and mineralogical properties of SCMs; their chemical reactions; and the resulting changes in the microstructure of concrete. The author links the properties of the material at the microstructural level with its behavior in laboratory tests, and, in turn, to the performance of the material in concrete structures under field exposure. He explains how SCMs influence the mechanical properties of concrete and improve its durability and also covers how various SCMs influence hydration reactions and the evolution of the pore structure and pore-solution composition. However, SCMs are not a panacea for concrete and improper use may be injurious to certain properties. Achieving the maximum benefit from SCMs requires an understanding of the materials and how they impact concrete properties under various conditions. Drawing on the author’s 30 years of experience, this book helps engineers and practitioners to optimize the use of supplementary cementing materials to improve concrete performance.




Coal Combustion Byproducts


Book Description

"The subcommittee has called this hearing so that members might learn more about coal ash, the small businesses that turn coal ash into useful products and the concerns that these businesses have about the proposed Federal regulations that they believe may have a negative effect on their industry ... The EPA has recently issued two proposals for regulating coal ash. One would regulate coal ash as a solid waste and would provide very limited Federal enforceability and may not provide adequate protection of the environment and human health. The other would list coal ash as a special waste under the Hazardous Waste Subtitle in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Subtitle C. The second option is one that we will focus on ... since it has generated great concerns among small businesses across this country. These businesses, many of which are represented here today, have reason to believe that regulating coal ash under Subtitle C, even as a special waste, will open recycling operations to added litigation and a stigma that will discourage the ... use of the products made with recycled coal ash."--P. 1-2.




Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies


Book Description

The construction materials industry is a major user of the world’s resources. While enormous progress has been made towards sustainability, the scope and opportunities for improvements are significant. To further the effort for sustainable development, a conference on Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies was held at Coventry University, Coventry, U.K., from June 11th - 13th, 2007, to highlight case studies and research on new and innovative ways of achieving sustainability of construction materials and technologies. This book presents selected, important contributions made at the conference. Over 190 papers from over 45 countries were accepted for presentation at the conference, of which approximately 100 selected papers are published in this book. The rest of the papers are published in two supplementary books. Topics covered in this book include: sustainable alternatives to natural sand, stone, and Portland cement in concrete; sustainable use of recyclable resources such as fly ash, ground municipal waste slag, pozzolan, rice-husk ash, silica fume, gypsum plasterboard (drywall), and lime in construction; sustainable mortar, concrete, bricks, blocks, and backfill; the economics and environmental impact of sustainable materials and structures; use of construction and demolition wastes, and organic materials (straw bale, hemp, etc.) in construction; sustainable use of soil, timber, and wood products; and related sustainable construction and rehabilitation technologies.




Waste Materials and By-Products in Concrete


Book Description

The amount and variety of waste that humanity dumps in landfill sites is nothing short of a scandal, believes Rafat Siddique, of Deemed University in Patiala, India. Instead, we ought to be building new homes out of it! Siddique shows in this important book that many non-hazardous waste materials and by-products which are landfilled, can in fact be used in making concrete and similar construction materials.







Properties of Fresh and Hardened Concrete Containing Supplementary Cementitious Materials


Book Description

This volume represents the current knowledge on the effect of SCMs (slag, fly ash, silica fume, limestone powder, metakaolin, natural pozzolans, rice husk ash, special SCMs, ternary blends) on the properties of fresh and hardened concrete (e.g. early strength development, workability, shrinkage) and curing requirements. Other topics treated in the book are postblending vs preblending, implications of SCM variability, interaction between SCM and commonly used admixtures (e.g. superplasticizers, air entrainers).