Sponsored, Cross- Dept project with Civil & Environmental Engineering
Sponsored by an innovative Maori owned producer of memorial headstones from sustainable NZ materials, this project will look at the creation of lime based concrete formulations that lead to improved sustainable headstones.
It is known that if not properly placed and compacted, concrete will not achieve its potential strength and durability that depends to a great extent on the development of physical and chemical bonds both within the cement paste as it hydrates, i.e. reacts chemically with water, and between the cement paste and the aggregate particles as the concrete hardens. Concrete technologists have at their disposal a range of materials other than cement, water and aggregates with which to enhance the strength and durability of concrete and reduce the high contribution of C footprint from cement. These materials are known as pozzolanic or supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) and chemical admixtures. Pozzolans are siliceous materials which in themselves possess little or no cementitious value, but which will, in finely divided form and in the presence of moisture, react chemically with calcium hydroxide to form compounds possessing cementitious properties.
Understanding the chemistry of the resulting product is important to identify the potential differences with limestone-based lime that can be detrimental to its used in lime-based concrete. It is expected that students will work closely with colleagues in Civil Engineering on this cross dept project. C&M students will focus on the chemical reactions taking place, and characterisation of the materials with different amounts of lime replacing cement. They will correlate this with mechnaical property measurements undertaken by the Civil Eng students. Time permitting students can invesitgate the replacement of commercail lime with that from biogenic sources (sea shells)
Undergraduate
understadnign of the role of lime in concrete formulations with a view to reducing C footprint through the use of sustainable materials
None
No lab has been assigned to this project