Concrete Based on Clinker-Free Cement: Selecting the Functional Unit for Environmental Assessment

• Main Authors: Olga Smirnova, Liliya Kazanskaya, Jan Koplík, Hongbo Tan, Xianyue Gu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-12-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: carbon footprint; functional unit; durability; frost resistance; aggressive environment of livestock farms; concrete for railway sleepers
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/1/135
• ISSN: 2071-1050

Improving the environmental situation and obtaining cement composites with new properties for various operating conditions is possible with the use of secondary resources. The paper is devoted to the criteria for evaluating the impact of clinker-free cement on the environment. The methodological approach to the selection of a functional unit for comparative assessment of the ecological footprint of clinker-free cements is justified. The results of studying the properties determining the concrete durability in the aggressive environment of livestock farms and in transport construction are given. The results will contribute to the development of an ecological approach to the components selection for clinker-free cements and to the adoption of design decisions in construction, as well as to the expansion of the field of using clinker-free cements in transport and industrial construction.