Recycled cementitious waste fines as supplementary material for low-clinker concretes

• Grant number: 24/04772-2
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Civil Engineering - Construction Industry
• Principal Investigator: Sérgio Cirelli Angulo
• Grantee: Sérgio Cirelli Angulo
• Principal researcher abroad: Christian Paglia
• Institution abroad: Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana, Switzerland
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Antonio Carlos Vieira Coelho ; Vanderley Moacyr John

Abstract

Cementitious waste fines are a relevant alternative source for use as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in clinker Portland production. Its generation surpasses slags and fly ashes, the most used ones that should become scarce in future scenarios. In literature, we do not know which is the most appropriate condition for the recycled cement/concrete fines (RCFs) as SCM. Although RCF is considered inert, non-reactive in most cases, a ultrafine grinding can increase its pozzolanic activity and may allow higher-clinker replacement and reduce CO2 emissions in the cement manufacture. Besides, there is many recent literature pointing the use of RCF to promote CO2 capture, but the best use as SCM is not well exploit once ternary binder solutions are required. So, carbonated cement waste fines needs to be combined with pozzolans or others to effectively reduce clinker content in cement. So, this international consortium will investigate the systematic use of recycled cementitious waste fines (RCFs) after different treatments and will clarify the related durability issues in low-clinker concrete formulations. The dissemination of the results will help design new and safe products, accelerating the spread of recycled concrete fines-based products. We will characterise RCFs obtained by milling and mineralization or thermal treatments and compare comprehensively their use as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and durability issues in low-clinker concretes. (AU)