Sources: Purebase Corp., Ione, Calif.; CP staff
The Sustainable Concrete Lab-to-Slab Initiative under the University of California, Davis Pavement Research Center will see testing of three slabs bearing 2.5 yd. or more of concrete mixes designed with novel binders, including a supplementary cementitious blend from metakaolin producer Purebase. Through prequalification testing, QA/QC, mid-term monitoring, plus environmental, constructability and life cycle cost assessment, Center officials seek insights from small-scale, traffic-free sections regarding the binders’ pilot project and mainline construction potential
“Although UC Davis has tested metrics of our SCM in the past in a lab setting, this is the next step in a project by the Pavement Research Center where we can physically see the performance of the material in a real-life application,” says Purebase CEO Scott Dockter. “Test slab [success] will open the door for our SCM to be widely utilized and implemented in substantial construction projects across the state of California. This would be a positive move for Purebase in our goal of decarbonizing California and, eventually, the nation.”
Lab-to-Slab launched this summer with ACI Foundation and California Department of Transportation funding and Federal Highway Administration support. Officials aim to advance sustainable concrete technology by accelerating implementation of alternative binders for concrete slabs and structures.
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