25 Jun New Achievement in Civil Engineering- Cement made of ashes
When constructing high-performance structures, materials made from recycled ingredients might not seem like a good fit. But when it comes to concrete made from ashes, the environmentally friendly material may actually be better than more traditional, non-recycled counterparts.
A team from Louisiana Tech University has been working with geopolymer concrete since 2006, exploring different formulations and applications. Unlike traditional concrete, in which cement, typically composed of limestone and clay, is mixed in a water-based solution with sand and gravel aggregates, the geopolymer concrete is mixed with an alkali solution and aggregates. By choosing different alkali activators and different materials for the aggregates, as well as by changing the fly ash source, it was found that could fine-tune the properties of the finished concrete—achieving concrete that was stronger and more temperature- and erosion-resistant than traditional high-heat materials.
Fly ash is not particularly hazardous to the environment by itself, but it is a waste product that would otherwise be sent to a landfill. Additionally, using waste ash replaces the need to manufacture traditional limestone cement, a process that produces greenhouse gasses and consumes energy. And unlike many ingredients for high-performance cements, fly ash is relatively inexpensive. This method of ash utilization can bring financial benefit and environmental solutions to many companies.