Sustainable Cement Paste Development Using Wheat Straw Ash and Silica Fume Replacement Model

Bryan Bastías, Marcelo González, Juan Rey-Rey, Guillermo Valerio and Pablo Guindos ()
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Bryan Bastías: Department of Engineering Construction and Management and UC Concrete Innovation Center (CIHUC), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8320165, Chile
Marcelo González: Department of Engineering Construction and Management and UC Concrete Innovation Center (CIHUC), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8320165, Chile
Juan Rey-Rey: Faculty of Architecture, Universidade da Coruña, 15001 A Coruña, Spain
Guillermo Valerio: Department of Engineering Construction and Management and UC Concrete Innovation Center (CIHUC), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8320165, Chile
Pablo Guindos: Centro Nacional de Excelencia para la Industria de la Madera (CENAMAD), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8320165, Chile

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 24, 1-22

Abstract: Conventional cement production is a major source of carbon dioxide emissions, which creates a significant environmental challenge. This research addresses the problem of how to reduce the carbon footprint of cement paste production using agricultural and industrial waste by-products, namely wheat straw ash (WSA) and silica fume (SF). Currently, accurate models that can predict the mechanical properties of cement pastes incorporating these waste materials are lacking. To fill this gap, our study proposes a model based on response surface methodology and Box-Behnken design, designed to predict the strength of cement pastes with partial substitutions of WSA and SF. Through mechanical and characterization tests, the model demonstrated high accuracy in predicting the strength of the pastes, validated with three mixes, which showed maximum errors of less than 6% at different ages (7, 28, and 56 days). Response surface analysis revealed that replacing cement with 0–20% WSA and more than 5% SF can effectively reduce the carbon footprint by maximizing waste incorporation. This model allows for the calculation of optimal cement substitution levels based on the required strength, thus promoting sustainability in the construction industry through the use of local waste/resources.

Keywords: sustainable concrete; cement paste; design of experiment; silica fume; wheat straw ash; low carbon; supplementary cementitious material; Box-Behnken Design (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:24:p:11226-:d:1549196

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