Environment and Conservation Fund - Durability Evaluation of Slag-Based Recycled Aggregate Geopolymer Concrete for Coastal Structures in Hong Kong
Grant Data
Project Title
Environment and Conservation Fund - Durability Evaluation of Slag-Based Recycled Aggregate Geopolymer Concrete for Coastal Structures in Hong Kong
Principal Investigator
Professor Deng, Xiaowei
(Principal Investigator (PI))
Duration
24
Start Date
2023-10-01
Amount
474824
Conference Title
Environment and Conservation Fund - Durability Evaluation of Slag-Based Recycled Aggregate Geopolymer Concrete for Coastal Structures in Hong Kong
Keywords
Durability; Slag-Based; Geopolymer Concrete; Coastal Structures
Discipline
Civil Engineering, Surveying, Building and Construction
HKU Project Code
ECF Project 117/2022
Grant Type
Environment and Conservation Fund 2022
Funding Year
2022
Status
On-going
Objectives
(1) This project aims to evaluate the durability performance of green and environment-friendly slag-based recycled aggregate geopolymer concrete (SRAGPC) in terms of mechanical and durability performance, especially for coastal structures of Hong Kong.(2) About one-third of solid waste in Hong Kong is waste concrete, which was 1.49 million tonnes in 2018, and predicted to be double in 2025. The disposal of such a large amount of construction waste may occupy a significant portion of land, and the waste dumping also causes environmental pollution. The waste concrete is proposed to be recycled as aggregates, which may reduce the pollution of sand and stone mining.(3) For over half of the world's total steel production in terms of mass is from China, while only around 30% of its production waste (steel slag) can be used efficiently, meaning that mountains of undisposed steel slag are seen every year, resulting in a number of problems like pollution, land use, and resource waste. The demand for cement in Hong Kong is about 3 million tons, with an increase of 5% per year. Therefore, to solve the problem of efficient steel slag use and reduce cement consumption, we propose a geopolymer concrete with the use of steel slag and metakaolin, which provides comparable or superior durability performance to cement-based concrete, especially for coastal structures built in Hong Kong.(4) Construction industry of Hong Kong alone contributes 15-40% of total carbon dioxide emissions. Reducing the use of cement and increasing the use of steel slag in concrete could reduce carbon dioxide emissions, steel slag waste dumping, and environmental pollution.