Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Lowering Co2 Emission and Making Concrete More Environmentally Friendly by Adding Limestone
EPA Grant Number: SU835707Title: Lowering Co2 Emission and Making Concrete More Environmentally Friendly by Adding Limestone
Investigators: Abdel-Mohti, Ahmed , Boulanger, Bryan , Barnhart, James , Alves, Rafael , Wolf, Addison , Lupinacci, Julia , McDaniel, Allan , Weingart, Meredith , Ballmer, Boston , Lin, Zexing , Filho, Luciano
Institution: Ohio Northern University
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Phase: I
Project Period: August 15, 2014 through August 14, 2015
Project Amount: $15,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2014) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Challenge Area - Chemical Safety , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
The goal of this project,“Lowering CO2Emission and Making Concrete More Environmentally Friendly by Adding Limestone”,is to produce a more sustainable concrete by engaging a team of undergraduate civil engineering students to address challenges associated with incorporating limestone in the concrete mixture and measuring the amount of CO2emission.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
The primary objective of this proposal is to test materials performance and carbonation capacity of portland limestone concrete (PLC) mixtures. A successfully developed product meets the existing technical specifications for material performance while demonstrating higher carbonation capacity (the ability of the concrete to sequester carbon dioxide). U.S. standards currently authorize the use of up to 5% limestone, but incorporating higher levels of limestone (potentially up to 35% limestone) will improve the environmental benefit. Limestone incorporation lowers the embodied CO2within the production process, while increasing carbonation within the matrix. By one estimate replacing 25 to 35% of cement with limestone in the concrete mixture decreases thermal energy demand by 0.22 to 0.60 GJ/t-cement and reduces direct and indirect CO2 emission up to 140 t CO2/t-cement. However, the material performance at higher levels of limestone remains under-characterized.
Supplemental Keywords:
concrete, pavement, CO2 emission, sustainability, limestone<The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.