How Hydraulic Cement Reduces Global Warming

Created By RISC | 1 year ago

Last modified date : 1 year ago

We saw in previous articles how the building industry accounts for up to 39% of total industrial carbon dioxide emissions. We saw some solutions and today let's look at another interesting route.​

​39% of carbon emissions come from construction, with building energy usage (Operation Carbon) contributing 28% and manufacturing 11%. Concrete, for example, emits 0.92 tons of CO₂ per ton. Steel creates 1.4 tons of CO₂/ton but construction uses more concrete, so it contributes a lot to the overall carbon footprint.​

Hydraulic cement is an alternate approach that you might not have heard about.​

Thai Cement Manufacturers Association has urged industry, government, and private sector to use hydraulic cement instead of Portland cement. Portland cement contains up to 93% clinker from limestone mountains and is fired at high temperatures of 1400-2000°C. Hydraulic cement substitutes clinker by about 10% with alternative ingredients such as gypsum, fly ash, and industrial wastes such as steel slag, reducing CO₂ emissions by around 0.052 tonCO₂/1 ton of mortar.

The government currently supports the usage of hydraulic cement. The Ministry of Industry established, updated, and amended its standards to allow the use of hydraulic cement in the production of concrete products for general use, construction needing high compressive strength, and construction requiring corrosion resistance. Hydraulic cement is a feasible alternative that can cut carbon dioxide emissions and help achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.​

Story by: Supunnapang Raksawong, Materials Researcher in Sustainable Building Material, RISC​

References:​
https://www.thaicma.or.th/th/substitution/cement_industry/clinker-substitution#3
https://cleantechnica.com/2020/09/14/reducing-emissions-from-cement-and-steel-production/
https://www.sustainable-ships.org/stories/2022/carbon-footprint-steel