Evaluating the Fire Performance of Alternative Cementitious Material (ACM)-Based Concrete for Sustainable and Resilient Construction

Concrete is one of the popular materials and is widely applied in construction due to its versatility, availability, low cost, strength, and durability. With the increase in population and urbanisation, the demand for concrete is increasing consistently. It has been realised that the naturally occurring aggregates used for the concrete production are finite these must be used with care and should be recycled where possible. The binder used in the concrete production is mostly the Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), simply called the cement. Cement is believed to make up around 45% of the concrete cost and has negative impacts on the environment due to its manufacturing process. Many reports suggest cement manufacturing is responsible for 5-8% of the global man-made CO2 emissions. Efforts have been made to find Alternative Cementitious Materials (ACMs) to OPC and to apply them in the construction of buildings, bridges and pavements. These alternatives include (but not limited to) Alkali Activated Binders (AAB), Calcium Sulfoaluminate (CSA), Calcium Aluminate Cement (CAC), Calcium Sulfoaluminate Belite (CSAB), Magnesium Phosphate Cement (MPC), Pulverised Fly Ash (PFA), Metakaolin (MK), Silica Fume (SF) and more.

Previous studies on the concrete with ACMs have been focused on studying the response at ambient temperatures while the response of this concrete at elevated temperatures still needs in-depth investigations, especially considering the complex structure of concrete.

The proposed PhD project investigates the response of concrete manufactured with ACMs at elevated temperatures and provides solutions to improve its performance in fire. During this study, proven mixes of concrete manufactured with ACMs from previous research will be used and their response in fire will be studied. The study will begin with mechanical durability and microstructural investigations using techniques such as TGA, FTIR, and SEM. It will then progress to examine the fire response of concrete cubes and structural elements, including hollow-core slabs, wall panels, and insulated wall panels. Tests on the samples prepared with normal concrete will also be conducted for comparison purposes.

Outcomes of the research will help to understand the response of concrete with ACMs in fire and will also help with finding ways to enhance their performance at these elevated temperatures. The study will help to reduce construction related carbon emissions and will promote green construction processes. The research outcomes will also benefit the design, manufacturing and construction industries on a global scale.