Evaluating and Implementing CC-Ⅰ-L Cement for the Next Generation of Concrete Bridge Construction

Sustainability has become a focus of cement production. Cement is second to water as humanity’s most used substance. According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data, the manufacture of cement accounts for 1.25 percent of U.S. carbon emissions.(1) As a result, the desire for low-carbon cement has increased. The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Sustainable Pavements Program has promoted research, publications, and strategies to support more environmentally friendly cement, including its 2016 TechBrief Strategies for Improving Sustainability of Concrete Pavements.(2,3) In line with these goals, FHWA’s Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program is sponsoring a collaborative research team, consisting of individuals from Iowa State University, University of Florida, University of Texas-Austin, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Carnegie Mellon University, in a project to develop viable low-carbon calcined clay (CC)-based cementitious materials options for pavement and bridges called CC-Ⅰ-L.