Displaying items by tag: Qatar University

Qatar: At Qatar University a project is being undertaken to make more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly concrete structures. Initiated under the auspices of the Centre for Advanced Materials (CAM), the project aims to partially replace cement with aluminium slags that are currently discarded in landfills.

The project team is led by Nesibe Gozde Ozerkan, assistant professor and assistant researcher at CAM. Omar al-Azzawi, a Masters student in the project team, claimed that using the mix design specified in the research will reduce the concrete final setting time by 48%. It will also, Omar said, reduce the corrosion of the reinforcement steel by more than 50%, which will positively affect the durability of structures.

Because of the expanding properties of aluminium slag, the mixture can be used in building subfloors, blocks and pre-moulded panels. Applying the idea will reduce the cost of concrete, the time needed for it to be cured, pollution caused by cement production and the pollution that results from throwing the dross into the landfill, according to al-Azzawi.

Ozerkan said the project is highly relevant to the realisation of the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030, since locally-produced aluminium waste, which has very detrimental effect on the environment, was used in the project. As a result, it can be said that the usage of the dross in concrete decreases its detrimental environmental effect. Moreover, the dross has some beneficial effect on concrete properties, providing benefits for local industry.