Project description
Turning cement green
The production of concrete is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for up to 8 % of the global total. This poses a significant challenge in combating climate change. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the UP-RISE project aims to revolutionise concrete production by developing an eco-friendly geopolymer based on dredged materials as precursors. By transforming these materials, rich in aluminosilicates, into sustainable geopolymers, the project addresses the significant GHG emissions from traditional Portland cement production, contributing to CO2 reduction and promoting sustainable infrastructure development. UP-RISE seeks to turn an environmental challenge into an opportunity for green construction, advancing both the construction and the maritime industry.
Objective
Climate change poses a global challenge, and the production of cement contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 5–8%. This project is, therefore, poised to revolutionize the industry by developing an innovative, eco-friendly cement using dredged materials (DMs) as precursors to produce greener geopolymers. The latter are synthesized by mixing materials rich in aluminosilicates with an alkaline solution. The GHG of geopolymer concrete is ~73% and ~46% less than ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete, respectively. Geopolymers exhibit noticeably improved mechanical properties compared to OPC concrete and have been shown to have better resistance to acid attacks, high temperatures, and fire. However, the production of large quantities of geopolymer concrete is limited due to the declining availability of fly ash worldwide. Dredged sediments have been identified as a potential source of silica and alumina. This project sets out to establish the foundational science needed to transform DMs into materials suitable for structural applications, thus pioneering a sustainable path to CO2 reduction. This study will foster the adoption of these by-products in sustainable infrastructure development and create a roadmap for producing DM-based geopolymers. The research, led by me, Dr. Amine el Mahdi Safhi, under the mentorship of Dr. Mahdi Kioumarsi and Dr. Shima Pilehvar at Østfold University College (HiØ) in Norway, will bolster my skills in materials and structural engineering, preparing me for an expansive academic career. The project is an international endeavor, with the collaboration of Dr. Ahmed Soliman from Concordia University (Canada) and industrial partner NETICS (Netherlands). Our vision is to turn an environmental challenge into an opportunity for sustainable development. By harnessing DMs, we will not only transform the cement industry but also positively impact society and the environment.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- engineering and technologycivil engineeringstructural engineering
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes
- engineering and technologycivil engineeringarchitecture engineeringsustainable architecturesustainable building
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Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European FellowshipsCoordinator
1757 Halden
Norway