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    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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    <atom:link href="https://rip.trb.org/Record/RSS?s=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" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
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    <language>en-us</language>
    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
    <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
    <image>
      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
      <url>https://rip.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle-RIP.jpg</url>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>State of Practice of Pozzolanic Concrete in Infrastructure Projects



</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2600544</link>
      <description><![CDATA[With the understanding of the advancements in the use of pozzolanic concrete to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works has requested reports on the use of low-carbon materials, including pozzolanic concrete, in federally funded projects. The request noted that the report should include steps taken to assess the durability, strength, cost, and environmental impacts of pozzolanic concrete compared with existing concrete products. The U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (US DOT OST-R), in coordination with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), will submit to the Committee a report on the use of pozzolanic concrete in federally funded infrastructure projects. The US DOT OST-R requested the TRB Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) to facilitate the conduct of this work and the preparation of the requested report. Research is needed to document the use of pozzolanic materials in concrete used in infrastructure projects and prepare the requested report.

The objective of this project is to document the use of pozzolanic materials in concrete used in infrastructure projects and prepare reports on the state of practice of pozzolanic concrete in infrastructure projects and in federally funded infrastructure projects. The latter report shall be prepared in a format appropriate for submission to the U.S. Congress. The research shall consider the use of fly ash, silica fume, and other pozzolans, both singularly and in combination. The documentation shall include the criteria and methods used to assess suitability of these materials for use in concrete structures, e.g., concrete properties such as durability and strength, estimated service life, economic considerations, and environmental impacts. For this project, pozzolanic concrete is defined as concrete containing pozzolanic materials. The research shall consider FHWA funded projects, projects located on federal lands, and projects using the formula and discretionary grants funds.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 16:08:41 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2600544</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Aggregate Alkali-Silica-Reactivity and Mitigative Measures</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2582928</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Alkali-Silica-Reactivity (ASR) is a well-documented issue with aggregate used in concrete throughout New Mexico. Historically, inexpensive coal fly ash (FA), a waste byproduct of power generation with pozzolanic properties, has been relied on as an effective means of mitigating ASR. As more and more coal-fired power plants are retired and replaced by natural gas power plants and renewable energy sources, FA is no longer a reliable and readily available source of material for mitigating ASR. Natural pozzolans currently used for ASR mitigation, such as pumicite and metakaolin, are available but are costly. New Mexico has many undeveloped sources of alternative natural pozzolans which could be utilized with proper characterization and become a significant economic contribute to the state’s economy. Establishing a statewide alkali-aggregate reaction (AAR) database based on detailed ASR testing is required to provide high quality concrete with excellent long-term performance necessary for the construction of highly safe and durable concrete transportation structures. It is expected future changes to concrete specifications will reduce supply burdens and costs for quality concrete, while at the establishing local sources for alternative pozzolans, benefiting local economies, as well as concrete suppliers and customers.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 05 Aug 2025 13:32:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2582928</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Long-Term Performance of Low Permeable Concrete for Structures</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2270038</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The primary objective of this research project is to perform non-destructive testing to evaluate the condition of a low-permeable concrete structure decks and ramp (the old SLC Int'l Airport parking structure). 
Secondary objectives of this research project are to validate the service life prediction for the structure using Life-365 corrosion prediction software and evaluate pozzolans (specifically silica fume) as additives in concrete for achieving similar low-permeable concrete mixtures in future structures.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 17 Oct 2023 19:21:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2270038</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Laboratory Evaluation of Fresh and Hardened Concrete Comprising Type IP Portland-Pozzolan Cement</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2263680</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this project is to evaluate properties of fresh and hardened concrete comprising portland-pozzolan cement with respect to current Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) specifications for cast-in-place concrete barriers. Specifically, the effects of a potentially higher water-cementitious materials ratio on the performance of the concrete in fresh and hardened states will be investigated, as well as methods of lowering the water-cementitious materials ratio to increase compliance with specifications.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 06 Oct 2023 16:55:08 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2263680</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Investigating the Performance of Concrete Incorporating Utah-recycled Glass Pozzolan</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2262782</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This research will evaluate the performance of concrete containing pozzolan derived from local waste glass as partial cement replacement.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 06 Oct 2023 12:20:39 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2262782</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Alkali-Silica Reaction Mitigation Strategies for ITD Concrete Mixes</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2083794</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Every year, Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) spends millions of dollars to repair deteriorated concrete structures around Idaho. One of the leading causes for deterioration of concrete is Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR), a chemical reaction that develops between the reactive silica in the aggregates and the alkalis within the cement paste, causing expansion and cracking to the structure over a number of years. ASR will eventually compromise the durability and structural integrity of structures and pavements.
ITD is currently experiencing problems with secondary cementitious materials (SCMs) test results in terms of consistency and quality of materials. SCMs are critical for concrete durability, longevity, cost, workability, strength, and as a mitigation method to reduce ASR reactions that lead to premature concrete failure. Fly ash is typically used as an SCM by Contractors and Concrete Suppliers. Recently, fly ash production has been decreasing on a national scale, while demand has been increasing. This results in shortages, cost increases, and the need for agencies to accept lower quality materials. Fly ash supplies will become increasingly scarce as coal is replaced by cleaner energy sources in the U.S. Therefore, the supply chain for ITD concrete SCMs is in jeopardy.
There are various mineral admixtures commercially available in the United States and Idaho. However, the effectiveness of these admixtures in reducing ASR has not been independently verified in Idaho. The two mineral admixtures that ITD would like to investigate are diatomaceous earth (DE) and natural pozzolans (NP). These two products can be produced locally within the state or in adjacent states. Currently, fly ash used for mitigating ASR is being shipped in from the Midwest or Canada. Given the lack of independently verified data and observations to evaluate the performance of these two mineral admixtures in Idaho, ITD would like to better understand the costs and performance benefits of these admixtures that ITD contractors can obtain locally.
Another mitigation approach is the use of nano-silica (NS) admixtures when combined with Idaho aggregates. These tend to be liquid admixtures that are added to the concrete when batched. Very little information is available as to the effectiveness of NS on ASR mitigation. NS admixtures are very consistent and can be easily implemented into existing concrete batch plants.
Past studies have shown that a majority of the aggregate sources in Idaho will react with alkalis in cement and thus, do not qualify under the AASHTO T 380 test (expansion ≤ 0.04% is passing). Additionally, using a non-reactive aggregate in concrete for all ITD projects is unrealistic. Therefore, to reduce ASR and provide durability to Idaho’s infrastructure, identification of effective ASR mitigation methods is critical. 
While there are many manufacturers of mineral admixtures who claim that their product is the best solution, independent testing and verification is required to assure durability of concrete structures in Idaho as well as building confidence for ITD contractors to select the right solutions that would work in Idaho. To accomplish this, ITD seeks researchers to conduct the testing, verification, and cost analysis as well providing recommendations and guidance for implementing the research outcomes.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 14 Dec 2022 17:01:07 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2083794</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Duracem Evaluation for Kansas Paving Applications</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2026344</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Addition of fly ash to Portland cement concrete mixtures has been known to improve the transport properties and durability of concrete and the offset in cement usage reduces the eventual carbon footprint of the concrete. However, reduction in dependence on coal for power generation and frequent changes in scrubbing procedures for obtaining fly ash from power plant exhaust gasses has introduced uncertainty in the quantity and quality of fly ash available for paving concrete. In particular, the variation in the quantity and type of the unburnt carbon or active carbon, and sulfate phases in fly ash is known to negatively impact air entrainment and setting behavior, respectively, leading to undesirable concrete performance. Unlike fly ash and other industrial byproduct pozzolans, calcined natural pozzolans such as calcined clay or calcined shale can be manufactured with careful industrial process and quality controls, and the raw materials needed to produce them are locally abundant. In compliance with the Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality released by the Portland Cement Assocation, cement producers (like Ash Grove) are scaling up testing and production of binary and/or ternary cements that contain up to 40% calcined natural pozzolans. Ash Grove markets such cements under the brand name "Duracem." Therefore, the use of Duracem for pavement concrete application needs to be evaluated. Numerous studies have been conducted to understand the hydration process and quantify the mechanical and fresh properties of concrete prepared using binary and/or ternary cements containing calcined natural pozzolans and/or limestone. Some of those studies show that concrete containing calcined natural pozzolans have comparable mechanical and fresh properties to that of concrete prepared using Type I/II OPC cement. However, large scope studies evaluating the freeze-thaw durability, permeability, shrinkage behavior, and admixture compatibility of concrete prepared using binary and/or ternary (third ingrediant being ground limestone) cements containing calcined natural pozzolans are warranted. Our industry partner Ash Grove Cement found this proposed work intriguing, and expressed strong interest providing a cement producer's insights and in-kind support. Given the ongoing concrete durability challenges in the State of Kansas, evaluating the aforementioned properties of concrete prepared using Duracem will provide KDOT with the technical basis to assess the suitability for use in Kansas paving applications.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 22 Sep 2022 11:36:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2026344</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of a Test to Measure Concrete Permeability Admixture Effectiveness</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1977952</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The research objective of this project is to determine appropriate test method(s) to measure the chloride penetration resistance of concrete containing PRAs and applicable acceptance criteria for use in Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) construction projects. Acceptable and relative performance of PRAs will be evaluated through comparison with the performance of a concrete mixture containing pozzolans that meets current mixture design requirements described in FDOT specification Table 346-2 and Table 346-3.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 08 Jun 2022 15:49:32 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1977952</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Alternative Supplementary Cementitious Materials in Ultra-High Performance Concrete</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1904906</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is an advanced fiber reinforced composite
material with compressive strengths greater than 17,000 psi (120 MPa), flexural strengths
greater than 1450 psi (10 MPa), and exceptional durability properties. UHPC is produced
with a high cementitious materials content, and silica fume and high-range water reducing
admixtures are used to produce a dense microstructure that can result in compressive
strengths greater than 29,000 psi (200 MPa). The superior durability and corrosion
resistance provided by UHPC provides the potential to increase service life and lower
repair costs in concrete structures.
New Mexico State University (NMSU) research has shown that non-proprietary UHPC
produced with local materials can cost less than proprietary mixtures, primarily by using
class F fly ash to replace much of the more expensive silica fume that is used as a
supplementary cementitious material (SCM). Non-proprietary UHPC produces slightly
lower strengths than proprietary mixtures, but durability properties of non-proprietary
mixtures have been comparable to those of proprietary mixtures. UHPC mixtures
developed at NMSU have been specified by New Mexico Department of Transportation
(NMDOT) for pre-cast, pre-stressed bridge girders and bridge deck overlays.
Unfortunately, class F fly ash production has decreased sharply as the energy industry
has reduced coal consumption and moved to renewable energy technologies to produce
electricity. NMDOT expects that by as early as 2022 the supply of class F fly ash will be
insufficient to meet their needs for concrete construction, so alternative SCMs are needed
for all concrete mixtures including the non-proprietary UHPC mixtures. This research
project will assess the potential for using alternative SCMs such as a natural pozzolan,
metakaolin, and ground-granulated blast furnace slag in non-proprietary UHPC mixtures.
The research project includes a comprehensive literature review to identify the most
important characteristics of SCMs for use in UHPC and to expose critical concerns for
UHPC mixtures produced with these materials. A suite of mixture proportions utilizing the
SCMs considered in the project will then be developed. Each of the new UHPC mixtures
will be evaluated for fresh and hardened properties including workability, compressive
strength, and flexural strength. The most promising UHPC mixtures will then be tested for
durability related properties including rapid chloride permeability, surface resistivity,
shrinkage, and frost resistance. Results from the testing program will be compared to
results from existing mixtures containing silica fume and class F fly ash in the final
research report. The implementation phase of the project includes documenting and
disseminating the results of the research in the final report for the project, publication of
journal papers, publication of conference papers, and presentations at conferences.
The NMSU research team is led by the PI, Professor Craig Newtson, who has over 25
years of concrete related research experience on projects totaling more than $2,300,000
in funding and has received national recognition for his research.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 20 Jan 2022 14:59:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1904906</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Durability of Concrete Produced with an Alternative Supplementary Cementitious Material</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1751181</link>
      <description><![CDATA[New Mexico contains several aggregate sources that are extremely susceptible to alkali-silica reaction (ASR). To mediate ASR, the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) requires a minimum of 20% class F fly ash (by mass of cement) in nearly all concrete produced for their projects. However, class F fly ash has become difficult for concrete producers to procure, and future availability is uncertain. Consequently, NMDOT is considering adopting alternative supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) that could be used in place of class F fly ash. The purpose of this research project is to assess one of the alternative SCMs being considered for potential acceptance by NMDOT. The SCM to be studied is a natural pozzolan mined from a pumicite deposit near Espanola, NM. Natural pozzolans are a class of siliceous or siliceous and aluminous materials that possess little or no cementitious value by themselves, but can react chemically with calcium hydroxide and water at ordinary temperatures to form compounds possessing cementitious properties that can improve concrete strength and durability. NMDOT has little data for mixture proportions and durability properties of concrete produced with this material, so they are not able to confidently accept the material for use in concrete produced for NMDOT projects, even if class F fly ash is not available. This research project consists of a comprehensive literature review to identify the most important properties and characteristics of SCMs, and especially natural pozzolans, in terms of their influence on concrete durability. For the experimental work to be conducted in this study, a suite of concrete mixtures, similar to currently accepted NMDOT mixtures, will be proportioned using the natural pozzolan to replace different percentages of fly ash. Concrete produced from these mixtures will be tested for slump, air content, compressive strength, and flexural strength to ensure that the mixtures provide adequate workability and strength. Then, the durability of the concrete mixtures will be tested by assessing their chloride permeability, resistance to freezing and thawing, susceptibility to ASR, and their shrinkage characteristics. Results from mixtures containing the natural pozzolan will be compared to control mixtures produced using NMDOT concrete mixtures containing only class F fly ash. The implementation phase of the project includes documenting and disseminating the results of the research. Dissemination of the results will include the final report for the project, publication of journal papers, publication of conference papers, and presentations at conferences. The New Mexico State University (NMSU) research team is led by the PI, Professor Craig Newtson, who has over 20 years of concrete related research experience on projects totaling more than $2,300,000 in funding. The team also includes Associate Professor Brad Weldon as a Co-PI. Dr. Weldon has supervised more than $1,300,000 in funded research projects and has received national recognition for his research.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2020 09:42:24 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1751181</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluation of Alternative Sources of Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) for Concrete Materials in Transportation Infrastructure</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1751123</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Concrete materials are present in almost all types of transportation infrastructure including roads, bridges, and airports. As such, concrete is an essential component of the transportation infrastructure. Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are a key ingredient of modern concrete. SCMs improves the durability (e.g., decreases permeability and help mitigate deleterious reactions) and mechanical properties of concrete and significantly reduces its carbon footprint by reducing the utilization of clinker. In recent years, the decline in coal-fired power generation in the U.S. jeopardizes the wide availability of fly ash for concrete production. Since fly ash is vastly the most utilized supplementary cementitious material (SCM) in the U.S., there is an urgent need to find alternative sources of SCMs that can provide with a portfolio of alternatives. As a response to the expected shortage of fly ash, the objective of this project is to evaluate the much-needed alternative sources of SCMs which can include unconventional sources of fly ash (i.e., landfilled and impounded fly ash), natural pozzolans, and calcined clays to provide with high-quality, cost-effective, and readily-available SCM alternatives for the future of concrete production in Region 6.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2020 15:21:05 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1751123</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Recommendations for Revision of AASHTO M 295 Standard Specification to Include Marginal and Unconventional Source Coal Fly Ashes</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1516166</link>
      <description><![CDATA[There is a growing concern among concrete users and producers about the scarcity of high-quality coal fly ash, arguably the most common supplementary cementitious material used in concrete to enhance its durability and prevent or mitigate alkali-silica reactivity. Electric power plants are increasingly using gas in place of coal, leading to a decreased supply of coal ash. Environmental regulations for air pollution keep on tightening, adversely impacting the quality of the ash coming out of the coal-fired power plants. The situation will almost certainly exacerbate with time, leaving the concrete industry with no other option but to rethink about ashes that, until now, it considered unacceptable. Such ashes include marginal ashes that do not meet the current specification as well as those disposed of in landfills or impoundments. There is now a growing realization that these ashes should not be rejected simply because they do not come up to the historical specifications adopted when high-quality coal ash was available in abundance; rather, they should also be evaluated and considered if concrete made with them meets the requisite performance. However, to be able to do this, the current specification will need to be revisited to include marginal and unconventional-source coal fly ashes. More importantly, any new specification should be based on measuring and evaluating ash properties that impact the performance of the concrete.  

Under NCHRP Project 10-104,“Recommendations for Revision of AASHTO M 295 Standard Specification to Include Marginal and Unconventional Source Coal Fly Ash,” South Dakota School of Mines and Technology was tasked to propose how current specification could be revised so that off-specification coal ashes could also be considered for use in concrete without any negative impact on concrete performance. These off-specification ashes included ashes that are currently discarded in landfills and impoundments. Following a critical literature review on the state of practice with particular reference to marginal and unconventional-source coal fly ashes, a new specification, based on the impact of ash on concrete performance, was proposed. An extensive testing program involving a large suite of standard and unconventional coal ashes was subsequently developed and executed to evaluate the proposed specification and demonstrate its applicability. Based on this evaluation, draft language is proposed for consideration by AASHTO to incorporate the research results in the next update of the AASHTO M 295 Standard Specification to include marginal and unconventional-source coal fly ash. The report includes a step-by-step guide for state DOTs and other users on a plan of action, including application of mitigation strategies for any negative effects, to allow the use of coal ashes hitherto considered non-compliant with specifications for the intended construction applications.  

NCHRP Research Report 1105: Use of Marginal and Unconventional-Source Coal Ashes in Concrete, recommends changes to currently used methods for selecting coal fly ash for concrete construction so that ashes, presently deemed unacceptable, could also be considered and evaluated for use in concrete. The proposed changes focus on  ash properties that impact concrete performance rather than other factors or characteristics. The findings and recommendations of this report should be particularly useful to state departments of transportation (DOTs) and others involved in selecting concrete materials for their highway infrastructure projects.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 19 Jun 2018 09:30:43 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1516166</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Use of  Bagasse Ash as a Concrete Additive for Road Pavement Applications</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1505361</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This research will investigate potential uses of sugarcane bagasse ash to reduce the cost and carbon footprint of concrete materials for road pavement construction and maintenance. Bagasse is the fibrous by-product of sugarcane stalks after they are crushed to extract their juice. Fortunately, bagasse ash has also been found to be a suitable supplementary cementitious material (SCM) due to its pozzolanic behavior. Hence, it can be used as an alternative to reduce cement consumption, similar to the current use of fly ash. Pozzolanic additives such as bagasse ash present several benefits, such as lower costs, lower environmental impacts, higher long-term compressive strength at the expense of a small reduction of the 28-day compressive strength, and improved durability. This study's goal is to develop new uses for bagasse ash as an SCM for concrete. In particular, the use of bagasse ash as a partial substitute for cement and fly ash will be investigated. An efficient production method to maximize the pozzolanic activity of bagasse ash will be developed, and the optimal amounts of bagasse ash to obtain desired concrete properties will be identified. The economic feasibility of bagasse ash used as an SCM will be explored through a preliminary life-cycle cost analysis.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 22 Mar 2018 22:06:46 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1505361</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Use of Nevada’s Natural Pozzolan to Mitigate Alkali-silicate Reactivity</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1464479</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In 2009, the International Energy Agency and World Business Council for Sustainable Development prescribed four strategies the cement industry can utilize in order to reduce CO₂ emissions: (1) thermal and electric efficiency; (2) alternative fuel; (3) cement substitution; and (4) installation of carbon capture and storage devices. While cement manufacturing technology is reaching its efficiency limit, and alternative fuel and carbon capture technologies are still at infancy; cement partial substitution with Secondary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) has received the most attention with positive results, reducing demand for Portland cement by 20-25%. However, with on-going closure of coal-fired power generating plants and ash ponds across the United States (US), as well as recent changes in the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations, the production of available fly ash that is acceptable for use in concrete will be more limited in future. This supply-demand problem adversely impacts cement substitution strategy, forcing concrete industry into finding and evaluating alternative sources of SCMs. One overlooked alternative to alleviate the rapidly declining sources of SCMs in the US is natural Pozzolan as a key part of the solution to reduce environmental burden of the cement industry.

The overall objective of this study is to assess effectiveness of Nevada’s natural pozzolans as SCMs on mitigation of alkali-silicate reactivity. This project will: 
(1)	Assess the effectiveness of different natural Pozzolans as SCMs on resistance to alkali silica reactions (ASR) of Portland cement pastes, mortars and concretes prepared with four known Nevada’s reactive aggregate sources.
(2)	Find minimum and maximum dosages of natural Pozzolans as cement replacements based on resistance to ASR, as well as strength properties, for the selected reactive aggregate sources.
(3)	Compare effects of Class F fly ash and natural Pozzolans on ASR resistance of Portland cement mortars and concretes.

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 13 Apr 2017 16:27:48 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1464479</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Utilizing Coal Fly Ash and Recycled Glass in Developing Green Concrete Materials</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1236316</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The environmental impact of portland cement concrete production has motivated researchers and the construction industry to evaluate alternative technologies for incorporating recycled cementing materials and recycled aggregates in concrete. One such technology is based on using pulverized glass as sand or pozzolan. Currently in the US, more than 600,000 tons/year of recycled glass bottles are stockpiled due to prohibitive shipping costs from recycling locations to glass melting factories {1}. This project proposes the use of this waste material along with fly ash (another industrial byproduct with landfill rate of 42.4 million tons/year [2]) in developing durable and environmentally positive concretes that can be used for various transportation applications. The research findings can lead to development of recommendations and specifications that pave the way for adoption of this green technology. Green concrete materials produced based on outcomes of this research can be used in various transportation-related applications such as highway barriers, pavements, piers, platforms, and buildings. The main challenge in producing durable glass-based concretes is the deleterious alkali-silica reaction (ASR) between glass particles and the cement past matrix that leads to formation of expansive ASR gel, and cracking of concrete. To mitigate ASR, application of 6 different fly ashes in replacement levels of up to 40% of portland cement in concrete will be evaluated. To optimize fly ashes in replacement levels of up to 40% of portland cement in concrete will be evaluated. To optimize fly ash content and minimize it's negative effects on early-age strength, it is important to determine exactly how fly ash mitigates ASR and what ash properties (e.g., composition, fineness, glass content) determines its effectiveness. As such, this research seeks two major technical objectives: 1- Understanding the mechanism by which fly ash mitigates ASR; and 2- Identifying factors that most significantly determine fly ash effectiveness against ASR. This information will assist material designers in selecting the best available fly ash type and content in glass concrete. Also, the results can be applicable to other cementitious materials (e.g., slag, recycled glass powder) to evaluate their effectiveness against ASR. In addition, the results will shed light on the strengths and shortcomings of ASTM C1567 test as a tool in determining the required pozzolan content to mitigate ASR.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 15:44:54 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1236316</guid>
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