Using Sustainable Biochar to Lower the Detrimental Effects of Fire in Concrete
At present, concrete has two major issues. On one hand, although concrete is not flammable, it suffers significantly from fire damage.
Background
In particular, fire exposure results in spalling, loss of strength and stiffness and as a result, concrete’s load-bearing capacity is reduced. On the other hand, the cement in concrete has a huge carbon footprint, which is damaging to the environment. Therefore, rendering concrete structures fire-safe, while enhancing their sustainability, is of utmost importance to safeguard the lives of humans, to protect valuable assets and curb carbon dioxide emissions. In light of the risk of fire damage to concrete, it is critical that some bio-based and renewable constituents are employed that can address the aforementioned issues while still imparting sustainability.
Aim & Objectives
In order to lower the detrimental effects of fire and the carbon footprint of the construction industry, waste-derived biochar will be used to replace cement and aggregates in concretes. Biochar, being inherently non-combustible and porous, is expected to enable a facile escape of moisture from concrete at high temperatures and also act as a heat shield. Two different types of biochar, one fine and the other coarse, will be used to replace up to 20 wt% of cement and aggregates, respectively. The casting of the concretes with biochar and testing of their hardness, compressive/tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, microstructure and chemical makeup will be done according to standard protocols. These aforementioned tests will be done both at room temperature and after exposure to fire at three specific temperatures of 200, 600 and 1000 ℃, representing growth, flashover and fully developed fire in an enclosure. The beneficial properties of biochar are envisaged to manifest in concrete and consequently lower the ill-effects (i.e. spalling, loss of strength and stiffness) of fire exposure. It is envisaged that the project will enable the Swedish construction industry to realise the potential of biochar as an effective and sustainable additive in concrete structures making them concurrently fire-safe and sustainable.
Funder: BrandForsk | Project leader: Oisik Das
Contact
Oisik Das
- Associate Professor
- 0920-492193
- oisik.das@ltu.se
- Oisik Das
Rhoda Afriyie Mensah
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