Supplementary Cementitious Material (SCM) Research

Image: Portland Cement Association (PCA)

The increasing global use of Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) to replace cement and reduce embodied CO₂ makes sound ecological sense.

SCMs are derived from lower embodied energy materials, and can result in environmental benefits, improved concrete performance and cost advantages.

Typically, they are ground granulated blast furnace slag (waste from steel manufacture), fly ash (waste from coal combustion) or silica fume.

These waste materials have been used in concrete for more than 50 years and the performance of blended cements in concrete is well understood.

Industry is also working to enable the increased adoption of another type of SCM - natural pozzolans - volcanic ash from the North Island Volcanic Plateau.

To help enable a better understanding and greater uptake of both industrial and natural SCMs in concrete construction, Concrete NZ is undertaking Building Research Levy funded research to assess classification techniques along with the fresh and hardened performance of SCM concrete.

Concrete NZ’s work in this area is important as the increased use of SCMs as a replacement for cement clinker will be important to the New Zealand concrete industry reaching its emissions reduction target of at least 30 percent by 2030.

SCM Research - Part 1. Literature Review & Experimental Programme

SCM Research - Part 2. Classification of SCM Reactivity in Concrete

SCM Research - Part 3. Durability Performance of SCM Concrete