The re-use of low-cost or recycled materials for preparing “green” concrete has increasingly attracted attention of the concrete industry in recent years. Yet research is lacking in the synergistic use of multi-scale modifiers and low-cost or recycled materials for high performance cementitious binders. While the use of nano-/micro-sized materials and recycled materials in cementitious concrete infrastructure has increased, along with a growing body of positive evidence or user experience, a study to leverage the recent advances and focus on the cold climate user requirements is needed and timely.

The objective of this project is to develop a new technology by synergistically using multi-scale modifiers and local low-cost or recycled materials to prepare “green” cementitious binder. In this project, researchers seek to find a balance between the performance and the environmental benefits through the use of multi-scale modifiers and recycled materials as cementitious binders. This study will focus on the formulation and property testing of the overall performance of the developed “green” binder, with a focus on testing performance at low temperatures, including freeze/thaw and salt scaling resistance.