Greening of concrete trends & priorities

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GREENING OF CONCRETE:
TRENDS AND PRIORITIES
Prof. Abdul Rahim Sabouni
PhD (Cornell), MSc (GWU), BSc (Honor)
FASCE, FACI, FCIOB, PEng, IAUP
CEO, Span Management Consulting
Abu Dhabi, UAE
www.spanmc.com
12:30 pm
Thu 26 November 2015
Dubai, UAE

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SPEAKER
PROF. ABDUL RAHIM SABOUNI
CEO of Span Management Consulting (SMC)
 PhD degree from Cornell University and a Master’s degree from the George
Washington University in Civil Engineering, USA
 35 years of professional experience in the US, Canada and the Middle East.
 Ex-University President, and Prof. of Structural Engineering
 Worked in Abu Dhabi Government as the Building's Design Expert of the Public
Works Department, then Projects Advisor of Abu Dhabi municipality
 Contributed to numerous projects in several countries with some mega projects
in the UAE, including the Emirates Palace Hotel, and the Sheikh Zayed Mosque
 Registered Professional Engineer in Ontario, Canada
 Chartered Construction Manager, UK
 Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
 Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Buildings
 Fellow of the American Concrete Institute
 First recipient of the George Winter Award from Cornell University, USA
Prof. Abdul-Rahim Sabouni, CEO Span M Consulting

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GREENING OF CONCRETE: TRENDS AND PRIORITIES
1. Introduction
2. Overview of concrete materials and the concrete industry
3. Introducing greening tools and strategies
4. Prioritizing actions for greening the concrete chain
5. The future of concrete versus the concrete of the future
6. The UAE experience
7. Conclusions

Introduction
• There is just no question about it: Concrete is the world's most important
material.
• Each year, billions of tons of concrete become the stuff of buildings,
highways, dams, sidewalks, and even artworks.
• Concrete is probably used more widely than any other substance except
water. More than a ton of concrete is produced each year for every man,
woman, and child on Earth. [Keim 2005]
• Yet concrete is one of the simplest materials. A typical mix of concrete
simply consists of 60 to 75 percent sand and gravel or crushed stone, 15
to 20 percent water, and 10 to 15 percent cement, which is prepared by
roasting limestone, clay, and other ingredients.
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1. Introduction
7. Conclusions
Sustainability and buildings
• There are no universally accepted definitions for green
building, sustainability, or sustainable development.
• The most commonly referenced definition is from the
Brundtland UN Commission (Brundtland G., ed., 1987,
Oxford Press, UK)
• “Sustainable development is development that
meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs.”
• This tenet encompasses far more than green
development or environmental issues, as it is generally
accepted to comprise three critical components affecting
social, economic, and environmental impacts
(sometimes referred as the “triple bottom line”.)
INTRODUCTION
GREENING OF CONCRETE: TRENDS AND
PRIORITIES

Introduction
• There is just no question about it: Concrete is the world's most important
material.
• Each year, billions of tons of concrete become the stuff of buildings,
highways, dams, sidewalks, and even artworks.
• Concrete is probably used more widely than any other substance except
water. More than a ton of concrete is produced each year for every man,
woman, and child on Earth. [Keim 2005]
• Yet concrete is one of the simplest materials. A typical mix of concrete
simply consists of 60 to 75 percent sand and gravel or crushed stone, 15
to 20 percent water, and 10 to 15 percent cement, which is prepared by
roasting limestone, clay, and other ingredients.
6

Trends ….
• Concrete has recently become under attack for being not friendly enough
to the environment.
• New factors have been introduced to drive the research and
development of concrete material that had never been considered in the
past.
• After decades of concentrating almost exclusively on improving concrete
mechanics, factors like sustainability, carbon gas emission, greening, and
other environmental considerations started taking the lead in future
developments not only in use of concrete as a construction material, but
in the re-evaluation of the processes of manufacturing, mixing,
transporting, casting, and maintaining of concrete.
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Trends …..
Such trends are driven by two globally dominant factors:
• Newly introduced environmental regulations, due to the increasing
awareness of environmental and sustainability concerns.
• Realization of applicability of the “high-tech” advancements in science and
technology to the traditional “low-tech” concreting Industry.
Nanotechnology, Intelligent Structures, Smart Materials, Biomimicry, etc..
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But, are there better alternatives?
Steel, Timber, Masonry ….
• First: How do alternatives relate to the new growing Environmental
Concerns?
• How friendly they are to the Environment?
• Second: How do they respond to the new growing and potential
Environmental Hazards?
• How sustainable they are against the not-so-friendly environment
• How to withstand the grave natural and man-made hazards
(Hurricanes, Tsunamis, Earthquakes, Terrorism, Biological and
Chemical, Atomic Hazards, …)
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1. Introduction
7. Conclusions
Historical Background
Concrete is very old in history, but reinvented by in its
modern form in the 19th century.
Concrete can be very durable and there are concrete
structures existing for thousands of years.
Introduction
PRIORITIES

11Prof. Abdul-Rahim Sabouni, CEO Span M Consulting
• Early concretes were used by Syrians
around 6500 BC.(The Image is "One of
the dead towns in northern Syria.“) .
• Egyptians around 3000 BC used mud
mixed with straw to bind dried bricks.
• Also furthered the discovery of lime and
gypsum mortar as a binding agent for
building the Pyramids.

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• However, it was the Romans who
refined the mixture's use. Even the word
"concrete" is derived from the Latin
"concretus," meaning "to grow
together."[Keim 2005]
• While lower grades were used in
everyday construction, the gems of
Roman engineering - the Appian Way
(312 AD) (which linked Rome to the
East), the aqueducts (80AD), the
Coliseum (82AD), and the Pantheon
(128AD), used a high-performance
concrete that derived its strength from
ashes emitted by Mount Vesuvius, near
Naples, Italy.

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• Vitruvius (born 80–70 BC, died after15 BC) master
engineer and architect to the Emperor Augustus wrote:
“This substance, when mixed with lime and rubble not
only lends strength to buildings of other kinds, but even
when piers of it are constructed in the sea, they set hard
underwater.”
• As the Dark Ages descended, Roman concrete mastery
was lost, for nearly 1500 years, till concrete was
rediscovered in the 19th century and became so popular
that it is now the most used construction material in the
world.
• Modern Concrete owes much to France's Joseph-Louis
Lambot who was the first to submit a patent for "ferro-
cement". This original reinforced concrete was used in
various applications: boats, apartment blocks, works of
art, etc.
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A 1684 depiction of Vitruvius (right)
presenting De Architectura to
Augustus

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1. Introduction
7. Conclusions
From Basic to Monumental Concrete Structures
Modern Concrete has evolved from a low-tech industry to
a very sophisticated leading the construction of modern
monumental structures
Introduction
PRIORITIES

Concrete Industry
• Giving up the traditional tow-tech
image to become at the for-front
of material high-tech industry.
• More responsive to
environmental concerns.
• More Economical, to meet the
new challenges of the societal
changes.

From the slum test
to computerized
smart monitoring of
mixes.
Prof. Abdul-Rahim Sabouni, CEO Span M Consulting 16
Concrete Industry

Shifting from rules-of-thumb to rules of science
ADDING ONE GALLON OF
WATER TO ONE CUBIC YARD OF
FRESHLY MIXED CONCRETE
WILL:
• Increase slump about one inch
• Decrease compressive
strength about 200 to 300 psi
• Increase shrinkage potential
about 10%
• Waste as much as 1/4 bag of
cement
Concrete Industry

Historical Evidence
The Coliseum
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The Pantheon
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Historical Evidence

The Aqueducts
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Historical Evidence

Sydney Opera House
And Modern Evidence

Abu Dhabi Exhibition Center Tower
ADNEC
And Modern Evidence

Burj Khalifa
And Modern Evidence

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1. Introduction
7. Conclusions
• Greening of concrete can be seen from various angles and
point of views
• There is no acceptable universal set of tools or strategies,
but a variety of combinations
Greening tools and strategies
GREENING OF CONCRETE: TRENDS
AND PRIORITIES

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Active Subject of Conferences, Committees,
Research Publications …
Last month Conference on Green
Concrete in Dubai Oct 12-13, 2015

Options of Greening Concrete
Materials’ view
• Greening the mix design: Optimized particle packing
• Portland limestone cement
• Self Compacting Concrete
• Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS)
• Pulverized fly ash (Pfa)
• Rice husk ash cement
• Rice husk cement
• Natural pozzolana and volcanic ash
• Cement free concrete
• Concrete wood
• Low cost substitute construction materials

R/C Durability view
• Fiber reinforced concrete
• High-strength concrete
• Cathodic Protection
• Admixtures and additives
• Epoxy coated re-bars
• Durability enhancing sealants
• ……..
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Manufacturing view
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R/C Innovative view
R/C Designer’s view
Regulator view

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1. Introduction
7. Conclusions
Greening from Cradle to Grave
A holistic approach of greening of concrete shall include
all angles an all views.
It has to cover the entire chain of the concrete
construction: concrete production, innovation, materials,
reinforcement, design, codes, construction methods,
maintenance, repair, re-building, demolishing and waste.
Prioritizing actions for greening the
concrete chain
PRIORITIES

A Holistic View of Greening
Cradle-to-Grave vs Cradle-to-Cradle
C2C
• Going green means solving complex problems in new and
creative ways. Its not just about the final product – it means
taking a holistic view of design and considering the entire life
cycle of a product from the get-go.
• A new concept has emerged to define this way of thinking:
cradle-to-cradle design. In the past, designers have adhered to
the conventional cradle-to-grave method, in which products are
simply designed with the assumption that they will ultimately be
thrown away when they’re no longer useful.
• A cradle-to-cradle approach, on the other hand, makes no such
assumption. The end of a product’s life cycle is just the
beginning of another cycle, as waste is recovered and
transformed into inputs for new products. It’s been called the
‘circular economy,’ a concept born in the nascent field of
industrial ecology.

A Holistic View of Greening
from Cradle-to-Grave
to Cradle-to-Cradle

Greening Cradle-to-Cradle

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Energy Use in the US
Residential
& Commercial
50 %
Transportation
Industry/
Manufacturing 32%
29%
Residential 21%
Commercial 18%
Transportation
2007 2030
The Building sector currently
representing around 40% of total use
energy use in the US. It is the single
biggest sector making contribution to
energy saving in the US.

Repair vs Re-Build
• A survey of 11 states (Staley and Barlaz
2009) estimates that 4.2 lbs (1.9 kg) of
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is
generated per person per day. Figure
shows the average breakdown of solid
waste from data in the survey.
• Construction & demolition (C&D) waste
was estimated at 20% of the total solid
waste,
• Some states indicating C&D as nearly
30% of their solid waste.
• In 2003, renovation was estimated at
42% of the C&D waste (U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency 2003).
• Making concrete last longer-as well as
having more durable repairs-can help
reduce this waste stream.
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Improved mechanical properties leads
to a reduction of materials needed

Greening and Codes
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1. Introduction
7. Conclusions
•The future of concrete is greening, and the concrete of
future is green.
•The vehicle is innovation.
The future of concrete versus the
concrete of the future
PRIORITIES

More Innovative, to think out of the traditional concrete box.
Innovation
The scientists at Delft University of Technology’s Center for Materials say the
technology makes it possible to produce concrete that repairs itself, thereby
reducing maintenance costs and improving the safety of concrete structures. “We
have mixed several of these bacteria into a cement paste and, after a month,
found the spores of three particular bacteria were still viable,” the scientists report.

Self-Healing Concrete
Civil engineer Prof. Victor Li designed
a bendable concrete that repairs its
own cracks.
• Li's self-healing concrete is based on a
material he came up with in 1990 called
engineered cementitious composite. It
has some of the same ingredients as
portland cement, except the coarser bits
of the mix are replaced by microfibers.
When the composite is stressed, it bends
without fracturing. If it does crack, the
cracks tend to be less than 50 microns
wide--thinner than a human hair. These
tiny cracks have the ability to heal
themselves.

Photocatalyzing Cement
Titanium dioxide-based additive
Smog-eating Cement
• In laboratory conditions, the additive, under the influence of sunlight,
binds the nitrogen oxide particles emitted by car exhausts and turns them
into harmless nitrates.
• Nitrogen oxides, produced by industry and motor vehicles, are among the
main air pollutants that lead to acid rain and smog.
• With one rain shower everything is washed clean.
Self-Cleaning Concrete
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Self-Cleaning Concrete

Translucent Concrete
Invented by Hungarian architect
Aron Losonczi in 2001
• When someone stands in front of it and light
is shone from behind, the person's shadow
can be seen clearly on the other side.
• The translucent blocks are made by mixing
glass fibers into the combination of crushed
stone, cement and water.
• Is being used now in projects like the
Japanese Embassy in Washington, DC
43

The NANO , what does it mean?
Nano is Greek for “dwarf”
It refers ro manipulation of matter on
<100nm Scale:
• 1 nanometer = 10-9 meter
• 1 nanometer = a row of 10 hydrogen atoms
• Much smaller than a living cell
• 1/10,000th the size of a bacterium
• A human hair is 80,000 nanometers wide.
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Nanotechnology Concrete

• Makes it possible to study the properties of
cementitious materials at micro/nano-scale.
• The better understanding of the structure and
behavior of concrete at micro/nano-scale could
help to improve concrete properties and
prevent the illness.
• Addition of nanoscale materials into cement
could improve its performance.
• Adding even a small amount of carbon
nanotube (1%) by weight could increase both
compressive and flexural strength.

DEFINITION OF NANO-CONCRETE
•Nano-concrete is defined as a concrete made
with Portland cement particles that are less
than 500 nano-meters as the cementing
agent.
•Currently cement particle sizes range from a
few nano-meters to a maximum of about100
micro meters.
•In the case of micro-cement the average
particle size is reduced to 5 micro meters.
•An order of magnitude reduction is needed to
produce nano-cement.
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General Description
 The most popular nano-tubes are carbon nano-
tubes, discovered by the Japanese Scientist
Sumio Iijima in 1991.
 The elastic modulus values range from 270 to
3600 GPa. Theoretical predictions indicate that
the modulus can be as high as 5000 GPa.
 In tension mode, the reported strain at failure is
as high as 12% and the strengths vary from 10
to 63 GPa.
47

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1. Introduction
7. Conclusions
Greening of concrete as part of sustainability standards
• LEED as international standard.
• Estidama as a leading UAE (Abu Dhabi) standard
• Dubai Green Building Regulations
The UAE Experience
GREENING OF CONCRETE: TRENDS
AND PRIORITIES

49
The US Green Building Council has developed a rating system for the
Federal Government as a guide for green and sustainable design. This
system, called “Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design”(LEED), has
become a standard adopted by several governmental agencies in its original
form or some modified versions of it.
It assigns points in five different categories:
1. Sustainable Sites, 14 possible points
2. Water Efficiency, 5 possible points
3. Energy & Atmosphere, 17 possible points
4. Materials & Resources, 13 possible points
5. Indoor Environmental Quality, 15 possible points
6. Innovation & Design Process, 5 possible points
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Sustainability Standards

Project Rating:
1. Projects require at least 26 out of the total of 69 points to become
“Certified”
2. Projects with 33 points are “Silver”-rated
3. Projects with 39 points are “Gold”-rated
4. Projects with 52 points are “Platinum”-rated, which is the highest
rating.
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Sustainability

Four Challenges:
Concrete industry has become a victim of its own success and therefore
is now faced with the following tremendous challenges:
1. Reduction of required natural resources;
2. Reduction of energy consumption;
3. Reduction of CO2 emissions;
4. Reduction of water consumption.
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Five Strategies:
1. Increased reliance on recycled materials.
2. Improved durability., by doubling the service life of our
structures.
3. Improved mechanical properties which leads to a reduction
of materials needed.
4. Increased use of supplementary cementitious material,
especially those that are byproducts of industrial processes,
such as fly ash and slag..
5. Reuse of wash water.
52

Concrete in Abu Dhabi 2030

Concrete is a key player in the Abu Dhabi 2030, but ……
which Concrete?

ESTIDAMA
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ESTIDAMA

(Items most pertinent to sustainability)
E–6 Pursue green building standards for design and construction that
responds to the local climate and is based on sustainable building
practices (e.g. solar orientation, xeriscaping, life cycle materials)
and create an Abu Dhabi Green Building Council to this end, in
cooperation with the Environmental Agency.
E–7 Pursue sustainable infrastructure technologies for managing
energy, waste, and water. Develop a Sustainable Waste and Resources
Strategy.
E–8 Pursue green practices in all industrial activities.
E–9 Promote Abu Dhabi as a model environmentally responsible
community, including its research, application of evolving best
practices, eco-tourism, eco-business and education, and to this
end, support and expand the Masdar Initiative.
E–10 Create and enforce a Smog Certification program for all boat
traffic traveling in waterways around Abu Dhabi Islands and the
National Park System.
E–11 Establish a network of environmental education programs and
facilities throughout Abu Dhabi (e.g. education centers, school
programs, island and desert eco-adventure activities, sustainable
building and living demonstrations, incentives for green living
choices such as public transit or photovoltaic installation).
E–6 Pursue green building standards for design and construction
that
• Concrete life cycle materials
• Concrete Production
• Concrete Mix
• Nonotechology
E–7 Pursue sustainable infrastructure technologies for managing
• From Low-tech to high-tech concreting
• Recycled gravel, sand and concrete
E–8 Pursue green practices in all industrial activities.
E–9 Promote Abu Dhabi as a model environmentally responsible
• Innovative Concrete
• Translucent concrete
• Self-healing Concrete
E–10 Create and enforce a Smog Certification program for all boat
• Nanotechnology
• Self-cleaning Concrete
E–11 Establish a network of environmental education programs
and
• Sustainable concrete
• Concrete Research

Estidama Guidelines Credit System
Chapter Criterion Credits attainable
3. Water 30
4. Energy 20
5. Indoor Environmental Quality 15
6. Ecology 7.5
7. Management 5
8. Transport 5
9. Pollution 5
10. Materials 5
11. Waste Management 5
12. Land Use 2.5
Total 100
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ESTIDAMA

Concrete in Dubai 2011-2020
GREEN BUILDING REGULATIONS
MANDATORY FOR ALL PROJECTS
1. In line with the commitment of
Dubai to become a world leading
'green' city and to make Expo 2020
an environmentally sustainable
event
2. The Green Building Regulations
were issued by Dubai Municipality in
2011 and were immediately
mandatory for government bodies
and optional for private developers.
3. Following the publication of Dubai
Municipality Circular No. (198) of
2014, the Green Building
Regulations are now also
mandatory for all private
developments with effect from 1
March 2014.

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1. Introduction
7. Conclusions
ConclusionsGREENING OF CONCRETE: TRENDS AND
PRIORITIES

Conclusions
• Construction is the largest industry in many countries in terms of its
environmental impact
• Greening of concrete is one part of the overall construction sustainability
• Greening of concrete has to be addressed throughout the building
process, and the notion of cradle-to-grave has to become cradle-to-cradle.
• Innovative concrete developments that improve concrete performance
contribute positively to its sustainability.
• Concrete greening is viewed differently by various professionals involved:
Architect, Engineer, Material specialist, Concrete manufacturer, Regulator,
etc..
• The UAE is taking the lead in imposing strict regulations for sustainable
concrete construction

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Prof. Abdul Rahim Sabouni
PhD (Cornell), MSc (GWU), BSc (Honor)
FASCE, FACI, FCIOB, PEng, IAUP
CEO, Span Management Consulting
Abu Dhabi, UAE
www.spanmc.com
GREENING OF CONCRETE: TRENDS AND PRIORITIES
THU 26TH NOV 2015

Greening of concrete trends & priorities

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