Feasibility Study of the Use of Concrete Sludge As Alternative Raw Material for Portland Clinker Production
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 27, Issue 10
Abstract
This study aims to examine the use of concrete sludge from water treatment installations of ready-mixed concrete plants as an alternative raw material for portland clinker kilns, and to enumerate possible limitations. By its extensive and representative collection of concrete sludge samples data, it may also be used for other investigations. The chemical variations of this sludge were evaluated by gathering 87 sludge samples over a period of two years. Furthermore, a treatment phase was proposed. Numerical simulations were conducted based on the chemistry of a representative concrete sludge sample, before and after a specific treatment phase, together with classic raw materials of three reference clinker factories to investigate the influence of the sludge on the clinker meal composition. Based on these simulations, experimental clinkers were produced, which were fully analyzed and evaluated for possible mineralogical influences. Based on the findings of this investigation, it was concluded that sludge out of concrete plants could not be classified as a feasible alternative raw material. Nevertheless, this paper has unveiled some attention points for the use of recycled materials or by-products as alternative raw materials for portland clinker production.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank the Central lab of Sagrex Quenast and the cement research lab of ENCI Maastricht for their support, Dr. Els Bruneel for her aid during TGA analysis, Jo Lejeune for his help during the XRD tests and the staff of the concerned concrete plants for their efforts during the collection of the 87 concrete sludge samples.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 27 • Issue 10 • October 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 29, 2014
Accepted: Oct 29, 2014
Published online: Dec 24, 2014
Discussion open until: May 24, 2015
Published in print: Oct 1, 2015
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