High performance cement based materials and holistic design for sustainability in construction (Part I)

The cement/concrete industry is faced with two major challenges – an infrastructure crisis, and a sustainability problem. Both are worldwide issues with tremendous implications not only for ourselves but also for the lives of generations to come. The focus of this paper is to show that a holistic approach to the formulation and fabrication of concrete materials with emphasis on durability, ductility, environment and sustainability can lead to the development of a large number of eco-friendly and innovative cement-based construction materials for a wide range of applications in infrastructure regeneration and reconstruction. Quality of life is the one single goal that all humanity wants and aspires for, and a judicious combination of pozzolanic/cementitious materials, chemical admixtures, fillers, fibres and other appropriate constituents can meet the insatiable demand for basic infrastructure facilities and at the same time contribute to sustainable growth with the least damage to our environment. The paper illustrates this philosophy of manufacturing and designing sustainable concrete materials for durability rather than for strength with various examples such as fly ash/slag concrete, high volume fly ash concrete, structural lightweight aggregate concrete, low energy-cements, and fibre reinforcement. It is also shown that the philosophy of holistic design with emphasis on material stability, structural integrity and ductility can successfully meet the challenges of the infrastructure crisis and sustainable development of the concrete industry.