International Concrete Abstracts Portal

NEx: An ACI Center of Excellence for Nonmetallic Building Materials spotlights the member companies that power their mission. Each organization brings unique expertise, global influence, and an uncompromising commitment to sustainable infrastructure.

The concrete industry is at a turning point, with a growing focus on sustainability reshaping how cement and concrete are designed, produced, and implemented. To remain relevant in today’s market, all industry stakeholders must stay informed about evolving practices and new materials that can support sustainable construction.

Geopolymer International (GPI) specializes in the research, development, and production of geopolymer-based sustainable construction materials. Through the collaborative efforts of GPI, Sustainable Concrete Solutions, and Constructions-3D, universities, artists, hardscape producers, and constructors now have access to cutting edge, recyclable materials and sophisticated 3-D printers.

In July of 1983, the Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology of Natural Resources Canada (CANMET), in association with the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, sponsored a 5-day international conference in Montebello, Quebec, Canada, on the use of fly ash, silica fume, slag, and other mineral by-products in concrete. The conference brought together representatives from industry, academia, and government agencies to present the latest information on these materials and to explore new areas of needed research. Since then, eight other such conferences have been held around the world (Madrid, Trondheim, Istanbul, Milwaukee, Bangkok, Madras, Las Vegas, and Warsaw). The 2007 Warsaw Conference was the last in this series. In 2017, due to the renewed interest in alternative and sustainable binders and supplementary cementitious materials, a new series was launched by Sherbrooke University (Professor Arezki Tagnit-Hamou), American Concrete Institute (ACI), and the International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures (RILEM)—in association with a number of other organizations in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean—sponsored the 10th ACI/RILEM International Conference on Cementitious Materials and Alternative Binders for Sustainable Concrete (ICCM2017). The conference was held October 2-4, 2017, in Montréal, Canada. The conference proceedings, containing 50 reviewed papers from more than 33 countries, were published as ACI SP-320. In 2021, UdeS, ACI, and RILEM, in association with Université de Toulouse and a number of other organizations in Canada, the United States, and Europe, sponsored the 11th ACI/RILEM International Conference on Cementitious Materials and Alternative Binders for Sustainable Concrete (ICCM2021). The conference was scheduled to take place in Toulouse, but due to COVID, it was held online June 7-10, 2021. The conference proceedings, containing 53 reviewed papers from more than 21 countries, were published as ACI SP-349. In 2024, the conference was finally held in-person in Toulouse from June 23 to 26, 2024, with the support of UdeS, ACI, and RILEM in association with Université de Toulouse (Martin Cyr) and a number of other organizations in Canada, the United States, and Europe. The purpose of this international conference was to present the latest scientific and technical information in the field of supplementary cementitious materials and novel binders for use in concrete. The new aspect of this conference is to highlight advances in the field of alternative and sustainable binders and supplementary cementitious materials for the transition to low carbon concrete. The conference proceedings, containing 78 reviewed papers from more than 25 countries, have been published as ACI SP-362. Thanks are extended to the members of the International Scientific Committee who reviewed the papers. The cooperation of the authors in accepting the reviewers’ suggestions and revising their manuscripts accordingly is greatly appreciated. The involvement of the steering committee and the organizing committee is gratefully acknowledged. Special thanks go to Chantal Brien (Université de Sherbrooke) for the administrative work associated with the conference and for processing the manuscripts for both the ACI proceedings and the supplementary volume. Arezki Tagnit Hamou, Editor Chairman, 12th ACI/RILEM International Conference on Cementitious Materials and Alternative Binders for Sustainable Concrete (ICCM2024). Sherbrooke, Canada, 2024

The use of calcined clays as a substitute for traditional cement materials has the potential to significantly reduce the carbon emissions of the cement industry. However, for their widespread adoption and urgent need to feed the cement industry, it is essential to have a comprehensive understanding of the methods involved in processing these clays to ensure maximum reactivity. Thermal treatment of these clays induces chemical reactions that transform the combined materials into reactive pozzolan by eliminating hydroxyl groups from the clay structure, resulting in the activation of alumina and silica oxides. A commonly employed industrial method for activating these clays is through the use of a rotary kiln. With an optimal temperature profile and material retention time, rotary kilns play a crucial role in ensuring the production of high-quality calcined clays. This study aims to enhance control performance and achieve a highly reactive marl by optimizing the preparation process through three steps: (1) characterizing the raw materials, (2) optimizing the kiln parameters, and (3) conducting the life cycle assessment of the process. The reactivity of the calcined marl will be evaluated using the ASTM C1897 Standard Test Methods and the strength activity index.