Sustainability with Ultra-High Performance and Geopolymer Concrete Construction

This paper presents an overview on the use of high performance cementitious products and in using cement replacement materials, such as geopolymers in the development of sustainable design and construction. The design approach not only accounts for the limit states design, it also takes into consideration the environmental impact and durability of the designed structure. Two examples of environmental impact calculations, a bridge structure and a retaining wall, are provided for conventional Portland cement concrete, geopolymer concrete and reactive powder concrete solutions. The comparison studies show that many structures constructed of reactive powder concrete and of geopolymer concrete can provide for environmentally sustainable alternatives to the use of conventional concrete construction with respect to the reduction of CO2 emissions, embodied energy and global warming potential. The enhanced durability of reactive powder concrete and geopolymer concrete also provides for significant improvements in the design life, further ­supporting the concept of sustainable development.