Performance evaluation of sustainable cement types in various concrete grades

Abstract

In the construction industry, the widespread use of OPC has raised concerns due to its significant CO2 emissions during production. As a response, there’s a growing trend among manufacturers to shift towards blended cement types, which offer potential sustainability benefits. Despite this shift, there remains a knowledge gap regarding the performance of concrete based on blended cement types, particularly in the context of the construction industry in SL. This study attempts to reduce this gap by exploring the sustainable cement types utilised in the construction industry and investigating their performance in concrete. The aim is to determine the critical factors that affect concrete quality when using blended cement and to investigate the attitudes & actions of the construction industry towards sustainable cement adoption. The study employs a methodology that involves performing experiments on three distinct grades of blended cement and conducting a field survey to gather feedback from industry professionals. Experimental results showed that concrete made with Blended Hydraulic Cement (BHC) takes a longer time to gain strength compared to OPC and Portland Composite Cement (PCC). However, results from the RCPT test indicated that concrete made with BHC is less permeable than that made with the other two types of cement.