CO2 as a Performance Enhancing Admixture in Ready Mixed Concrete

Presented By: Sean Monkman, CarbonCure Technologies An important part of improving the embodied carbon of the built environment is reducing the carbon emissions associated with concrete. The beneficial use of carbon dioxide (CO2) in ready mixed concrete production has been developed and installed as a retrofit technology with industrial users. An optimum dose of CO2 added to concrete as an admixture leads to the in-situ formation of mineralized calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and can increase the concrete compressive strength. The improved performance can be leveraged to design concrete mixture proportions for a more efficient use of portland cement along with the use of CO2 to reduce the carbon footprint of concrete. The physicochemical aspects of CO2 mineralization, the fresh and hardened concrete performance, durability performance and life cycle impacts will be discussed.