Calcium-Based Binders in Concrete or Soil Stabilization: Challenges, Problems, and Calcined Clay as Partial Replacement to Produce Low-Carbon Cement

• Published in: Materials Vol. 16; no. 5; p. 2020
• Main Authors: Mohammed, Angham Ali, Nahazanan, Haslinda, Nasir, Noor Azline Mohd, Huseien, Ghasan Fahim, Saad, Ahmed Hassan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 28-02-2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Calcium; Carbon content; Carbon dioxide; Cement; Civil engineering; Clay; Clinker; Concrete; Ecological footprint; Energy consumption; Hydration; Hydraulics; Lime soil stabilization; Limestone; Mixtures; Moisture content; Portland cements; Review; Roasting; Shear strength; Soil improvement; Soil lime; Soil stabilization; Underground construction; China; problems of cement and lime; cement; calcium-based binders; sulfate attack; lime; CO2 emission; alternative materials (calcined clay)
• ISSN: 1996-1944; 1996-1944
• DOI: 10.3390/ma16052020

Calcium-based binders, such as ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and lime (CaO), are the most common artificial cementitious materials used worldwide for concrete and soil improvement. However, using cement and lime has become one of the main concerns for engineers because they negatively affect the environment and economy, prompting research into alternative materials. The energy consumption involved in producing cementitious materials is high, and the subsequent CO
emissions account for 8% of the total CO
emissions. In recent years, an investigation into cement concrete's sustainable and low-carbon characteristics has become the industry's focus, achieved by using supplementary cementitious materials. This paper aims to review the problems and challenges encountered when using cement and lime. Calcined clay (natural pozzolana) has been used as a possible supplement or partial substitute to produce low-carbon cement or lime from 2012-2022. These materials can improve the concrete mixture's performance, durability, and sustainability. Calcined clay has been utilized widely in concrete mixtures because it produces a low-carbon cement-based material. Owing to the large amount of calcined clay used, the clinker content of cement can be lowered by as much as 50% compared with traditional OPC. It helps conserve the limestone resources used in cement manufacture and helps reduce the carbon footprint associated with the cement industry. Its application is gradually growing in places such as Latin America and South Asia.