Long-term impact of sustainable cementing materials on the corrosion durability of reinforced structures

Production of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) contributes to 8% global CO2 emission. There is now increased effort to find alternative materials that are sustainable, readily available, and cheap. Several supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) from natural resources and waste product have been used to partially replace OPC and have shown beneficial effect. New efforts by Carbon Upcycling Technologies (CUT) towards a “net-zero world” has resulted in a carbon sequestering process to produce enhanced (i.e. treated) SCM (E-SCM). This effort also comes at a time where some Canadian Highway Bridge Code required service life has recently increased to ~100 years, despite increased structure exposure to harsh de-icing salt environment. Consequently, sustainability and durability of concrete structures are being sought by transportation authorities. This project will determine the long-term impact of E-SCMs on the durability of reinforced concrete structures which stands to aid commercialization and promote its increasing use for concreting, and therefore, place Canada in global leading space in low-carbon technologies.

Faculty Supervisor:

Ibrahim Ogunsanya

Student:

Partner:

Carbon Upcycling Technologies Inc

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Construction and infrastructure; Manufacturing; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Toronto

Program: