Self-compacting concrete with low cement consumption: impact of the reduction of cement consumption on the compressive strength

ABSTRACT The consolidation of concrete as the second most consumed material in the world has instigated the search for solutions to reduce clinker consumption and CO2 emissions. Aiming to provide a contribution to environmental sustainability and the cement industry, this research seeks to analyze the economic viability of self-compacting concrete (SCC) with low cement consumption. A study of the optimization of the granular skeleton and the composition of the paste was carried out using the Gomes (2002) dosing method for the SCC. Reductions of up to 25% of the cement consumption were measured in relation to the reference SCC. Regarding the relative cement consumption and unit cost indexes per MPa developed in 1 m3 of concrete, it was verified that the SCC’s with low cement consumption showed reductions of up to 34.75% and 16.83%, respectively, while being compared to the reference SCC. The greater effectiveness in the reduction of the consumption relative to the mechanical resistance to compression than in the consumption of cement per cubic meter of concrete observed, is due to the observation of higher levels of mechanical resistance to compression for the composition with lower paste volume and higher proximity to the optimal void index found in the aggregate packaging stage. This result shows that even in the lower dosage circumstances, the mechanical compressive strength can be increased, thus demonstrating the technical and financial superiority of the SCC with low cement consumption compared to conventional SCC dosages, in addition to the sustainability gains obtained by the reduction of the clinker consumption and the CO2 emissions inherent to the lower amount of cement mass per cubic meter of concrete.