Development of Concrete Materials Infused with Biochar for Bridge Applications

Details

• Creators:
  Bullard, Jeffrey ; Kim, Yong-Rak ; Jeon, In Kyu
• Corporate Creators:
  Texas A&M University. Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Corporate Contributors:
  Innovative Bridge Technologies/Accelerated Bridge Construction (IBT/ABC) Tier-1 University Transportation Center (UTC) ; United States. Department of Transportation. University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program ; United States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Concrete
  • Biochar
  • Pozzolan
  • Curing and setting agents
  • Compressive strength
• Publication/ Report Number:
  IBT/ABC-UTC-2024-C1-TAMU01-Final
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Final Report (January 2024- July 2025)
• Corporate Publisher:
  Innovative Bridge Technologies/Accelerated Bridge Construction (IBT/ABC) Tier-1 University Transportation Center (UTC)
• Description:
  In portland cement concrete, biochar additions efficiently accelerate setting, increase the initial rate hardening, and promote the precipitation of secondary minerals to fill capillary pores, all key aspects of accelerated bridge construction. However, biochar has variable properties and performance in concrete, especially at early ages. We investigated how biochar surface area, composition, and water absorption influence the rheological properties, hydration rates, and strength development of fresh and hardened concrete material. Two different biochar sources were characterized for specific surface area, porosity, composition, and particle size distribution, and were used to partially replace portland cement in cement binders. The fresh hydration rates, rheological properties, and setting times were monitored by isothermal calorimetry, rotational rheometry, and Vicat penetration, respectively. With 5 w% biochar replacement, setting times were 25 % lower, 7-d compressive strengths were 25 % greater, and secondary mineralization rates were enhanced by 25 % relative to control materials without biochar. These results show that low-volume biochar additions in concrete can both accelerate bridge construction and can potentially provide a material with enhanced mechanical performance.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  69A3552348322
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/94047/dot_94047_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.17 MB]
• Collection(s):
  University Transportation Centers
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:38ef8ad85e993cc4ef4120b3b3a3ae10b89bdbbdda3d64096184da8775a27014bdaa0cf25d7ba55f1eee5760089dba9b56d73fb6ba51128ff5d2b8e6b805757c