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Carbon Neutrality, Carbon Reductions, and CO2 Utilization in the Concrete Industry

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Civil Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 May 2024) | Viewed by 10051

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Xiaoyong Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Integrated Energy and Infra System and Architectural Engineering, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon-Si 24341, Republic of Korea
Interests: sustainable concrete; low carbon dioxide concrete; concrete hydration model; optimal hybrid design model; reinforced concrete; composite structures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xu Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon-si 24341, Korea
Interests: biochar blended cement-based materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The United Nations Climate Conference have proposed a goal of global carbon neutrality by 2050. In the process of making concrete, a large amount of cement is consumed, and a large amount of carbon dioxide is emitted. In this context, we ask the following questions: How can we achieve carbon neutrality and carbon reductions in the concrete industry? How can we utilize the CO2 emissions? These questions pose challenges which governments and researchers from various countries are very concerned about; solutions are urgently needed. The purpose of this Special Issue is to provide a forum for discussion on carbon neutrality and carbon reductions in the concrete industry. Through this Special Issue, we can explore practical, technical routes for carbon neutralization and carbon reductions in the concrete industry. For example, we can explore the material design of carbon-neutral concrete, the product development of carbon-neutral concrete, and the performance evaluation of low-CO2 concrete. The research topics which will be considered for inclusion in this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following: low-carbon concrete; negative-carbon concrete; concrete admixture; concrete carbonation curing; concrete durability; concrete structure life cycle design; volume stability of composite concrete; material design considering climate change; steel slag concrete product development; concrete strength. This Special Issue welcomes both original papers and reviews.

Prof. Dr. Xiaoyong Wang
Dr. Xu Yang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • carbon neutrality
  • low-CO2 concrete
  • CO2 utilization
  • negative-CO2 concrete
  • mineral admixtures
  • durability
  • carbonation curing
  • service life
  • climate change
  • steel slag
  • material design

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4725 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Quartz Powder on the Mechanical–Thermal–Chemical–Durability Properties of Cement-Based Materials
by Gui-Yu Zhang, Seokhoon Oh, Chunhua Lu, Yi Han, Run-Sheng Lin and Xiao-Yong Wang
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(8), 3296; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14083296 - 13 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1414
Abstract
Using industrial by-products to replace cement is an important way to reduce carbon emissions in the cement industry. The purpose of this article is to understand the effect of quartz powder on the properties of cement-based materials. Experimental studies were conducted on the [...] Read more.
Using industrial by-products to replace cement is an important way to reduce carbon emissions in the cement industry. The purpose of this article is to understand the effect of quartz powder on the properties of cement-based materials. Experimental studies were conducted on the macroscopic and microscopic properties of cement-based materials mixed with quartz powder to evaluate their feasibility as a replacement for cement. The substitution rates of quartz powder were 0% (Qu0), 7.5% (Qu7.5), and 15% (Qu15). The test time was from 1 day to 28 days, and the main results are as follows: In the early stage of the hydration reaction, as the amount of quartz powder substitution increases, the cumulative hydration heat increases. This is mainly because the nucleation effect of quartz powder accelerates the hydration reaction of cement. In the later stage of the hydration reaction, as the amount of quartz powder substitution increases, the cumulative heat of hydration decreases. This is mainly due to the diluting effect of quartz powder. For Qu0, Qu7.5, and Qu15, the decrease in compressive strength after 1 day is not obvious. The decrease in compressive strength at 28 days is more obvious. Overall, there are exponential relationships between the UPV measurement or surface resistivity results and the compressive strength measurement results at 1, 3, 7, and 28 days. The XRD test results show that the main products of the reaction are AFt, CH, Hc, and Mc. From Day 1 to Day 28, the content of Mc becomes evident. The test results for TG showed that, as the amount of quartz powder substitution increases, the mass loss decreases. For different specimens of Qu0, Qu7.5, and Qu15 at different test times (3 and 28 days), there is an exponential function relationship between chemically bound water and strength. A numerical hydration model is proposed for cement–quartz binary blends. The parameters of the hydration model are determined based on the hydration heat normalized by the cement mass. Moreover, the hydration heat at 28 days is calculated using the proposed model. The strength development of all specimens and all test ages can be expressed as an exponential function of hydration heat. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon Neutrality, Carbon Reductions, and CO2 Utilization in the Concrete Industry)
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19 pages, 4904 KiB  
Article
Carbon Dioxide Uptake by Brazilian Cement-Based Materials
by Joao Henrique da Silva Rego, Miguel Ángel Sanjuán, Pedro Mora, Aniceto Zaragoza and Gonzalo Visedo
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(18), 10386; https://doi.org/10.3390/app131810386 - 17 Sep 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2906
Abstract
The worldwide cement industry plays an important role in addressing the climate change challenge. Brazil’s cement industry currently has 91 cement plants with an installed production capacity of 94 million tons per year and has started to calculate the net CO2 emissions [...] Read more.
The worldwide cement industry plays an important role in addressing the climate change challenge. Brazil’s cement industry currently has 91 cement plants with an installed production capacity of 94 million tons per year and has started to calculate the net CO2 emissions to achieve a carbon-neutral cement sector by 2050. Accordingly, the carbon dioxide uptake due to mortar and concrete carbonation is subtracted from the carbon dioxide emitted by the chemical reaction for the calcination of lime, i.e., the calcination process performed during clinker production. Now-adays, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventories to report the GHG emissions do not include any calculation procedure to consider the mortar and concrete carbonation. However, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) recognizes the physico-chemical process known as carbonation. Brazilian net carbon dioxide emissions of cements produced from 1990 to 2019 are estimated considering the carbon dioxide uptake during the service-life and end-of-life and secondary usage stages (Tier 1). This is a fundamental scientific and technological novelty that changes the current approach to estimate the carbon dioxide emissions due to the Portland cement clinker production. Even considering the relative novelty of this approach, it should be promoted in the future and included in the national inventory report (NIR). The carbon dioxide uptake by mortar and concrete carbonation for 30 years is about 140 million tons. Within this thirty-year period about 483 million tons have been released due to the calcination process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon Neutrality, Carbon Reductions, and CO2 Utilization in the Concrete Industry)
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23 pages, 3376 KiB  
Article
XGBoost Prediction Model Optimized with Bayesian for the Compressive Strength of Eco-Friendly Concrete Containing Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag and Recycled Coarse Aggregate
by Salwa R. Al-Taai, Noralhuda M. Azize, Zainab Abdulrdha Thoeny, Hamza Imran, Luís F. A. Bernardo and Zainab Al-Khafaji
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(15), 8889; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13158889 - 2 Aug 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2338
Abstract
The construction industry has witnessed a substantial increase in the demand for eco-friendly and sustainable materials. Eco-friendly concrete containing Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS) and Recycled Coarse Aggregate (RCA) is such a material, which can contribute to a reduction in waste and [...] Read more.
The construction industry has witnessed a substantial increase in the demand for eco-friendly and sustainable materials. Eco-friendly concrete containing Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS) and Recycled Coarse Aggregate (RCA) is such a material, which can contribute to a reduction in waste and promote environmental sustainability. Compressive strength is a crucial parameter in evaluating the performance of concrete. However, predicting the compressive strength of concrete containing GGBFS and RCA can be challenging. This study presents a novel XGBoost (eXtreme Gradient Boosting) prediction model for the compressive strength of eco-friendly concrete containing GGBFS and RCA, optimized using Bayesian optimization (BO). The model was trained on a comprehensive dataset consisting of several mix design parameters. The performance of the optimized XGBoost model was assessed using multiple evaluation metrics, including Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and coefficient of determination (R2). These metrics were calculated for both training and testing datasets to evaluate the model’s accuracy and generalization capabilities. The results demonstrated that the optimized XGBoost model outperformed other state-of-the-art machine learning models, such as Support Vector Regression (SVR), and K-nearest neighbors algorithm (KNN), in predicting the compressive strength of eco-friendly concrete containing GGBFS and RCA. An analysis using Partial Dependence Plots (PDP) was carried out to discern the influence of distinct input features on the compressive strength prediction. This PDP analysis highlighted the water-to-binder ratio, the age of the concrete, and the percentage of GGBFS used, as significant factors impacting the compressive strength of the eco-friendly concrete. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon Neutrality, Carbon Reductions, and CO2 Utilization in the Concrete Industry)
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12 pages, 2950 KiB  
Article
Impact of Industrial Application of Fast Carbonation of Recycled Concrete Aggregates
by Laurent Izoret, Thomas Pernin, Jean-Marc Potier and Jean-Michel Torrenti
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 849; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13020849 - 7 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2658
Abstract
The purpose of the national FastCarb project was to investigate whether the carbonation process of recycled concrete aggregates (RCAs) can be accelerated and benefit from both a carbon footprint point of view and the recycling of these aggregates in concrete. This article presents [...] Read more.
The purpose of the national FastCarb project was to investigate whether the carbonation process of recycled concrete aggregates (RCAs) can be accelerated and benefit from both a carbon footprint point of view and the recycling of these aggregates in concrete. This article presents a part of the results obtained within the project. Two industrial demonstrators were carried out, which allowed for carbonating RCA and manufacturing concrete and concrete objects containing these aggregates. A life cycle analysis showed the importance of transport distances in the results concerning climate change. The project finally shows an interest in the technique for recycled concrete sands. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon Neutrality, Carbon Reductions, and CO2 Utilization in the Concrete Industry)
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