Conventional and Ultra-High Performance Concretes for Transportation Infrastructure using Limestone-Calcined Clay Cements (LC3)

This project evaluates the use of limestone calcined clay cement (LC3), a new type of hybrid blended cement, with potential energy, environmental, and economic benefits in addition to performance enhancement, in transportation infrastructure applications (highway concrete and bridge decks/connections). Specifically, the use of LC3 with 35-50% lower clinker content, is explored as a drop-in replacement for conventional Type I/II ordinary portland cement (OPC) or Portland limestone cement (PLC, Type IL) for conventional (compressive strengths in the 4000-8000 psi range) and ultra-high-performance concretes (UHPC; compressive strengths of ~25,000 psi). LC3 uses calcined clays (even low purity clays, which are abundant in many parts of the world), which react pozzolanically in a cementitious system to form secondary hydration products, thereby resulting in cement replacement. In this project, the influence of calcined clays (synthesized by Ash Grove Cement, and used in the formulation of their LC3 cements) will be evaluated with respect to reactivity in cement-based systems, and the development of hydration products and pore structure. Conventional concretes and UHPCs will be proportioned using LC3 cements. The influence of 35-50% clinker replacement on the mechanical and durability properties of conventional concretes and UHPCs will be evaluated. A few concrete mixtures will be chosen to be recommended to transportation agencies based on performance and a detailed life cycle cost analysis will be carried out. It is anticipated that this work will lead to a better understanding of economical and high-performance low clinker content concretes, which are critical towards improving the durability and extending the life of transportation infrastructure.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $296,958.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552344813

  69A3552348318

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  National Center for Infrastructure Transformation

  Prairie View A&M University
  Prairie View, TX  United States  77446
• Performing Organizations:

  Arizona State University, Tempe

  Tempe, AZ  United States 
• Principal Investigators:

  Neithalath, Narayanan

• Start Date: 20260601
• Expected Completion Date: 20280531
• Actual Completion Date: 20280531
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers
• Source Data: 03-35-ASU

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Concrete; Life cycle analysis; Life cycle costing; Limestone; Portland cement concrete; Ultra high performance concrete
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Materials; I20: Design and Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 02001915
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Center for Infrastructure Transformation
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552344813, 69A3552348318
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Sep 10 2026 8:49AM