OasisLMS

This is a recorded webinar from February 28, 2024.

This webinar is jointly sponsored by NEx: An ACI Center of Excellence for Nonmetallic Building Materials and the American Concrete Institute (ACI).

It is crucial to find practical and economically feasible solutions to reduce CO2 emissions associated with concrete production. Replacing conventional concrete mixtures with a low water-to-cement ratio and low cement content concrete can be a viable immediate solution. This can address the sustainability challenge from two different perspectives: reducing CO2 emissions from OPC production and reducing the amount of water consumed during the production of concrete. However, this change would require the use of a high dosage of water-reducing admixtures as well as implementing the concept of optimized graded aggregate in low w/c systems. Based on a recent study funded by NEx, this webinar will discuss the optimum dosage of admixtures in sustainable concrete mixtures with low w/c and low cement content and its impact on the fresh and hardened (mechanical and durability) properties of concrete. Additionally, the results of life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) and life-cycle assessment (LCA) will be presented to examine the impact of the application of the recommended sustainable concrete mixtures on the life-cycle costs and CO2 emissions when compared to the control conventional concrete mixture. The presented outcomes can benefit the concrete industry by establishing new performance-based mixture proportions for the potential use of “low cement + high dosage admixture” concrete.

1. Describe the optimum dosage of water-reducing admixtures (high-range water reducers) in “low cement” sustainable concrete mixtures.
2. Identify the impact of a high dosage of admixtures on the fresh and hardened properties of concrete mixtures.
3. Quantify the impact of the application of the “low cement + high dosage admixture” concrete mixture on the life-cycle costs when compared to the control conventional concrete mixture.
4. Explore the environmental impact of the application of the “low cement + high dosage admixture” concrete mixture using a cradle-to-grave approach.

View the recorded webinar. Complete 10-question quiz with a score of 80% or higher to receive a certificate for 0.1 CEU (1.0 PDH).
Continuing Education Credit: 0.1 CEU (1.0 PDH)
Approved AIA and ICC
Access Period: 30 days