Compressive Strength Estimation and CO2 Reduction Design of Fly Ash Composite Concrete

Fly ash is broadly utilized to produce concrete materials. This study presents a strength estimation model and a CO₂ reduction design method for concrete with fly ash. First, a hydration-based strength (HBS) model is proposed for the evaluation of strength development at different ages of fly ash composite concrete with different mix proportions. Second, CO₂ emissions for 1 MPa strength were evaluated. The analysis results show that, as the fly ash-to-binder ratio (FA/B) increased, the CO₂ emissions for 1 MPa strength decreased. For concrete with a low water-to-binder ratio (W/B), the addition of high content of fly ash had an obvious dilution effect, which increased the reaction degree of cement and reduced CO₂ emissions for 1 MPa strength. Moreover, the extension of the design age could reduce CO₂ emissions for 1 MPa strength. Third, a genetic-algorithm-based optimal design model is proposed to find the individual mass of cement and fly ash of low-CO₂ concrete. The analysis results show that, as the water contents increased from 160 to 170 kg/m³, to obtain the same strength, cement mass and fly ash mass increased, while the water/binder ratio and fly ash/binder ratio did not change. This means that the reduction in mixed water is one feasible way to lower CO₂ emissions. In summary, the proposed strength–emission integrated analysis method is useful for designing sustainable fly ash composite concrete with the desired strength and low levels of CO₂ emissions.

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