Articles, Guides & Reports

Carbon-neutral concrete and carbon-neutral cement involve different levels of scope. In the case of carbon-neutral cement, carbon reductions need to offset the emissions from cement production. The reduction of carbon footprint by the cement industry is critical to reducing the embodied carbon of the end product—concrete.

This article, the third in a series on portland limestone cement (PLC), reports on the mechanisms that allow PLC mixtures to maintain the same levels of durability performance as portland cement (PC) mixtures. It discusses results of alkali-silica reactivity, sulfate resistance, freezing-and-thawing, scale resistance, and carbonation testing. PC and PLC used in presented studies came from the same mill circuit. The target limestone content of the PLC was 12%, the limestone was interground with the cement clinker, and the fineness of the PLC was increased to achieve the same 28-day (mortar) strength as the PC.

ACI Concrete Sustainability Forum IX took place in October 2016 at the ACI Concrete Convention and Exposition. The forum featured presentations from seven experts on sustainability design, sustainability assessment systems, and new material technologies for sustainable buildings and civil engineering structures.