Development of a Framework to Provide Concrete with a Low Carbon Footprint and Enhanced Resistance Against ASR-Induced Development

The concrete industry needs to find cost-effective technologies to reduce the carbon footprint of its products. At the same time, these technologies should not reduce the concrete performance, including long-term durability. The great demand for concrete and the expected shortages of high-quality aggregates (e.g., ASR resistant) in the coming years will enhance the probability of using inferior raw materials that will reduce the lifespan of concrete infrastructures. This study aims to develop a new approach taking the chemical composition of the binder into account for the concrete mix-design toward the mitigation of ASR, while reducing the carbon footprint and cost of concrete. In this work, blended cements that fall into the “safe” combination of CaO, SiO₂, and Al₂O₃ (main oxides in cementitious materials) with regard to ASR were tested for their mechanical properties and resistance to expansion upon ASR. The data gathered demonstrate promising results on using the proposed ternary oxides approach: by comparing the effect of the different portions of Al₂O₃, SiO₂, and CaO it was demonstrated that the higher the content of either Al₂O₃, SiO₂, or both, the lower ASR-induced expansion development. Yet, keeping the amount of CaO constant, the results suggest that mixtures with a higher amount of SiO₂ than Al₂O₃ tend to be more efficient in mitigating ASR. The results provide interesting data to help in the decision making to select the best options (i.e., the combination of different SCMs and their quantities) to apply in concrete structures exposed to ASR development.