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PCA Cement and ConcreteTechnology Research
Concrete Technology
Home > PCA Cement and Concrete Technology Research
When questions are raised concerning cement and concrete, chances
are that Portland Cement Association engineers can provide the answers.
In addition to serving as a clearinghouse for technical information
on cement and concrete from sources worldwide, PCA itself has sponsored
research directed at extending the boundaries of technical knowledge
in the field since 1918.
MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub’s Concrete
Industry Day: A Solid Success!
On August 11, 2011, more than 500 construction industry professionals,
including architects, engineers, executives, scientists, and academics
attended the 2nd Annual Massachusetts Institute of Technology Concrete
Sustainability Hub (CSHub) Industry Day. The theme of Science Society
Solutions: Concrete was supported by keynote speakers Governor John
Sununu and distinguished architect Hubert Murray, who provided perspectives
on the activities of the CSHub from national public policy and innovative
design standpoints.
Multiple programs under the two platforms of the CSHub, Life Cycle
Assessment/Life Cycle Cost Analysis and Concrete Science were covered
in detail in afternoon breakout sessions that emphasized the breadth
and depth of the research programs.
Industry Day marked a milestone in the life of the CSHub and culminated
in the release of three landmark studies: Life-Cycle Assessment
of Pavements, Life-Cycle Assessment of Buildings, and The Effects
of Inflation and Its Volatility on the Choice of Construction Alternatives.
Already established as a superior construction material choice for
its durability and strength, these studies quantify the dramatic
sustainability and cost advantages of concrete using the most rigorous
and complete methodology developed to date.
These reports examine the cost and environmental impacts for the
full life of pavements and buildings—including the use and
operations phase – not just the costs and embodied CO2 at
initial construction. Currently, most LCAs in use do not fully account
for these impacts, which can include fuel efficiency of automobiles
on different pavement types, effects of maintenance as well as factors
such as traffic delays for pavements and heating and cooling of
buildings.
Pavements
After 22 months of dedicated research, results reported indicate
that the use and rehabilitation phases of a pavement’s life
can account for between 33 % and 44 % of the CO2 emissions for interstate
highways, clearly establishing the need to include this type of
data in any complete life cycle assessment.
Researchers reviewed fuel economy from a unique perspective: Instead
of focusing on the efficiency of cars and trucks, they analyzed
how pavement properties affect fuel economy. Pavements that flex
slightly under traffic loads cause cars and trucks to run in a slight
depression that increases fuel consumption, similar to continuously
driving slightly uphill. Using detailed first-principles analyses,
a pavement-vehicle interaction (PVI) model was developed to relate
fuel consumption to pavement properties. The result: Pavements with
greater stiffness provide better fuel economy for the vehicles that
travel on them. More
on pavements.
Buildings
As well, the detailed research conducted by MIT has quantified the
relative CO2 contribution from buildings across all phases of a
building’s life cycle. As with pavements, a comprehensive
review of all phases of the service life of buildings has been included.
This rigorous analysis, with a similar study of whether the best
environmental strategy was beneficial economically, will allow the
construction industry to improve the accuracy and transparency of
existing and future life cycle assessments, providing legislators,
code making bodies, architects, and other design professionals with
a comprehensive and unbiased LCAs. More
on buildings.
Inflation
MIT also used this life-cycle approach to evaluate the real cost
of pavement throughout a 50-year lifetime, beyond initial construction
costs. Researchers started with the Federal Highway Administration’s
(FHWA) Life-Cycle Cost Analysis in Pavement Design Interim Technical
Bulletin, a process that accounts for both initial construction
and future rehabilitation. A key additional component to consider
is changes in the prices of building materials over the life of
a building or pavement. Based on historic data, MIT’s research
showed that during a 50-year service life, the mean real price of
concrete decreases by 20 percent, while the mean real price of asphalt
increases by 95 percent. To provide a solution, MIT developed a
procedure that architects, departments of transportation, and other
designers can easily adopt to account for inflation impacts on project
costs, leading to improved accuracy of those LCAs. More
on inflation.
Other Research Resources: (Click on
title for more information or to order)
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Concrete
Research Library
2008 Edition (DVD021)
The Concrete Research Library is a searchable compendium
of over 1,100 PCA concrete research reports dating from 1916
to 2008. Of historical importance is the Development Department
Bulletins DX001 through DX147, the Lewis Institute Bulletins
LS001-LS017, and the full collection of Research Department
Bulletins RX001-RX229. Research & Development Bulletins
(RD001-RD136) discuss pavement cracking, ICF walls, high strength
concrete columns, effect of fly ash on the durability of concrete,
freeze-thaw durability, fire resistance of reinforced concrete
columns, cement kiln dust, ASR, DEF, sulfate environments and
all aspects of concrete properties. Also, there is access to
over 550 Serial No.(SN) reports on topics such as; masonry,
RCC, structural design, durability, concrete technology, soil
cement, paving, architectural concrete, residential, bridges,
and sustainability. |
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Cement
Research Library, 2008 Edition (DVD025)
The Cement Research Library is a compilation of nearly
2000 technical papers and research reports issued from 1916
to May 2008 on the chemistry, technology, properties, and manufacture
of portland and other cements. A user-friendly interface allows
easy searching by author, title, keyword, or a combination. |
PCA Research Reports
Summary
This document provides a list of PCA research reports from the last
three years. The reports are categorized by research projects with
respect to their market or technical area. Categories include Engineered
Structures, Residential, Public Works, Product Standards and Technology,
Energy and Environment, and Manufacturing Technology. Click
here.
For more information on PCA's Research and Development program,
click here.
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