Core Research Thrusts
At the Science of Cementitious Materials (SCiM) laboratory, our research bridges fundamental materials science with scalable, real-world engineering solutions. Rather than tackling decarbonization through isolated, short-term projects, our work is organized around four core, interlinked research thrusts. These thrusts address the entire lifecycle of sustainable infrastructure materials, from raw material extraction and chemical activation to fluid-state placement and multi-decade durability. Crucially, this framework captures our laboratory’s multiscale scientific approach, seamlessly bridging the micro, meso, and macro scales from atomistic simulations and cement hydration kinetics to microstructural development and structural engineering properties.
Our fundamental discoveries feed directly into major global and regional application paradigms:
- Limestone Calcined Clay Cements (LC3): We lead and contribute to international efforts pushing the boundaries of clinker replacement, optimizing formulations that drop clinker factors below 50% while maintaining high performance.
- Ultra-Green Concrete (UGC): Coined within our laboratory, the UGC framework shifts the focus from the binder level to a holistic concrete mixture design approach. By combining ultra-low clinker cements with optimized particle packing and admixture formulations, we target the absolute minimization of embodied carbon per cubic meter of field-placed concrete.
Cement chemistry and structure of hydration products
To achieve clinker factors below the 50% threshold without compromising performance, we dive deep into the micro- and nano-level reactions of multi-component blended binders. Our recent research focuses on tracking the complex thermodynamic phase assemblages of low-carbon systems, establishing the atomistic structure of amorphous aluminosilicates and hydration products, and evaluating the stability of critical carboaluminate phases.
We detail how the fundamental reactions between metakaolin and limestone drive superior porosity reduction at early ages. By mastering these coupled clinker-SCM interactions, we establish the scientific boundaries required to design highly reliable and resilient ultra-low-carbon cements.
Alternative SCMs, properties, reactivity and processing
The global scalability of low-carbon cement relies heavily on the availability and reactivity of alternative, emerging SCMs.Our lab maps various families of mineral resources, including clays, natural pozzolans, zeolites, mine tailings, and other industrial residues, and develops rigorous scientific criteria for their characterization and activation.
Our group has developed novel approaches based on the isotopic labeling of complex mineral phases to access the fundamental pozzolanic reaction in situ. We utilize advanced solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to detail these structural transformations. By exploring the effects of thermal and mechanical processing across alternative clays, we establish robust protocols that eliminate overcalcination risks and maintain critical structural properties.
Mixture design, rheology and chemical admixtures
A sustainable binder is only viable if it can be efficiently mixed, transported, and placed. Low-clinker systems and many emerging SCMs introduce distinct rheological challenges, such as accelerated flow loss and complex structural buildup at rest. Reducing the paste volume in concrete makes the challenge even bigger.
Thus, the use and optimization of chemical admixture formulations is a cornerstone and foundational piece within the low carbon cement and concrete discussion. Our research tackles these problems by mapping organic admixture-cement-SCM interactions. Utilizing novel techniques, we resolve superplasticizer distribution in blended cements. We also design synergistic chemical pathways, such as pairing alkanolamines with limestone-slag or LC3 systems, and employ advanced particle packing approaches to optimize workability and early-age strength development at low water-to-solid ratios.
Concrete engineering properties and durability
Decarbonization cannot come at the expense of infrastructure longevity. We evaluate how eco-friendly binders evolve over multi-year horizons, investigating 3+ year long-term microstructural hydration kinetics and product structure.
Our research fundamentally characterizes how novel cement formulations can influence transport properties through structural changes and porosity development kinetics over time. Our durability program subjects these alternative materials to harsh environments, analyzing their resistance to chloride ingress, sulfate attack, alkali-silica reactions (ASR), and carbonation. By understanding these degradation mechanisms, we ensure that the sustainable structures built today will remain resilient for generations.
