Mimicking the cementation mechanism of ancient Roman seawater concrete using calcined clays

The negative environmental impacts of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC)-based materials, including high carbon emission, energy-intensive manufacturing process, and freshwater consumption, can be minimized by capitalizing on the concepts ancient Roman concrete. Accordingly, this study presents a pathway producing durable sustainable seawater concrete mimicking cementation Calcined clays with blended minerals (kaolinite montmorillonite), portlandite, were used to produce these binder mixtures. evolutions reaction products seawater-cured paste samples monitored for up 56 days using Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Because alkalinity (pH 8.2) seawater, it acts as an activator calcined clay-portlandite mixtures eliminating need additional alkali activators. in presence between clay portlandite happens relatively rapidly, compressive strengths around 17 MPa achieved within 7 days. early age primarily attributed formation hydrocalumite. With increasing curing duration, geopolymer gel, C-A-S-H, ettringite, phillipsite formed. Both C-A-S-H showed binding chlorides. Only sequestration sulfates matrix. blends containing 50 75% kaolinite performed better than 100% terms rate strengths.