WHAT IS GREEN CONCRETE - APPLICATION, ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

 Green Concrete

Concrete which is made from concrete wastes that are eco-friendly, uses less energy in the production and produces less carbon dioxide than ordinary concrete is called green concrete.Most people associate it with the concrete that is colored with pigment, but green concrete does not refer to the color of the concrete.It is considers every aspect starting from raw materials to its manufacture, concrete mix design and ultimately the structural design, construction and service life.

Green concrete is very cheap to produce, because waste products are used as a partial substitute for cement, charges for the disposal of waste are avoided, energy consumption in production is lower and

durability is greater.Green concrete is a type of concrete which resembles the conventional concrete but the production or usage of such concrete requires minimum amount of energy and causes least harm to the environment.Green concrete was first invented in Denmark in the year 1998 by Dr.WG.

Why Green Concrete?

The main constituents in concrete is cement which consists of limestone.During the manufactured of cement, its constituents are heated about 800-1000 ℃.During this process, carbon dioxide is driven off.Approximately 1 kg of cement produces about 900 gm of Co2. When it comes to green concrete , it reduces the Co2 emmision by at least 30%.It is also energy-saving and eco-friendly than normal concrete.

Materials Used

1. Fly Ash
2. BFS (Blast Furnace Slag).
3. GGBS (Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag).
4. Recycled demolition waste aggregates.
5. Recycled concrete aggregates.
6. Glass aggregates.
7. Manufactured sand.
8. Rice husk ash.
9. Silica fume.
10. Metakaolin.

Environmental Goal of Green Concrete

• Reduction of CO2 by 30%.This is in accordance with the Kyoto Protocol of 1997.
• Reduce the use of fossil fuels by increasing the use of waste derived fuels in the cement industry.
• The recycling capacity of the green concrete must be less compared to existing concrete types.
• The structures do not impose much harm to the environment during their service life.
• The production and the use of green concrete must not deteriorate the working environment.

Advantage of Green Concrete

• Eco-friendly.
• Better workability.
• Reduced CO2 emissions by 30%.
• No environmental pollution.
• Helps in recycling industrial waste.
• Reduce the consumption of cement.
• Better damping resistance in building.
• It requires less maintenance and repairs.
• It is as economical as conventional concrete.
• Greater strength and durability than normal concrete.
• It has good thermal resistant and fire resistant properties.
• Sustainable development without environmental pollution.
• Low production costs as wastes directly substitute the cement.
• Flexural strength of green concrete is almost equal to that of conventional concrete.

Disadvantage of Green Concrete

• Water absorption is more than conventional concrete.
• It has less split tensile strength than conventional concrete.
• Its compressive strength is less than conventional concrete.
• The cost of reinforcement increases as it uses stainless steel.
• The effect of creep and shrinkage is more than conventional concrete.

Application of Green Concrete

• It is used in building construction.
• It is used in bridge construction.
• It is used in dam construction.
• It is used in road construction.