Research and Development Office

Evaluating TRANSCEND ERC as a Viable Alternative for Carbon Nuetral Cementation and Digital Fabrication

Project ID: 1784
Principal Investigator: Jeffery Keim
Research Topic: Repair and Maintenance
Funded Fiscal Years: 2017
Keywords: None

Research Question

Can the CO2 generated during cement production be sequestered into the cement clinker during the production of cement? Will the cement perform as well as traditional cements? TRANSCEND is a multidisciplinary engineering research center who's mission is to transform construction by carbon-neutral cementation and has asked Reclamation to be a participant in this technology. Before committing, Reclamation should determine if it is worthwhile to participate fully. Participation would include being on the advisory board, receiving pre-publication results and access to intellectual property (IP). Membership includes a membership fee, which varies depending on the specifics of the IP agreement.
The cement industry is changing, looking for more environmentally friendly methods for producing quality cements. Reclamation is a large consumer of cement and needs to be at the forefront in helping to develop some of these technologies so that our requirements for cement are taken into consideration.
Participants include the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), University of California, Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon University, California State Polytechnic University and University of California, San Diego. Other partners include National Science Foundation as well as all major cement manufacturers and concrete admixture manufacturers in the US.

Need and Benefit

Reclamation has a responsibility to construct structures as environmentally friendly as possible. The includes exploring production methods for materials used to construct our facilities. Cement used in concrete has been labeled as one of the most environmentally unfriendly products to produce. If Reclamation has an opportunity to play a role with industry to make concrete more environmentally friendly, we share a responsibility to investigate that alternative. Our structures have a 100 year service life because of the way we specify our materials. We must be assured that the new technologies are going to be able to support our design criteria. If we have an opportunity to have input upfront to assure that our needs are fulfilled while assisting in the development of an environmentally friendlier production method, we should participate.

Contributing Partners

Contact the Principal Investigator for information about partners.

Research Products

Bureau of Reclamation Review

The following documents were reviewed by experts in fields relating to this project's study and findings. The results were determined to be achieved using valid means.

Evaluating TRANSCEND ERC as a Viable Alternative for Carbon Neutral Cementation and Digital Fabrication (final, PDF, 200KB)
By Jeffery (Scott) Keim
Report completed on December 31, 2018

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