Research on cementitious materials to promote sustainable developments in Vietnam

Abstract

This paper will be based on a joint Vietnamese-Dutch co-operation program dealing with sustainable developments. This implies optimum use of indigenous raw materials, of mineral by-products, and of waste components. It asks for reducing energy consumption and diminishing environmental pollution. This is of economic interest, of course, but it contributes also significantly to more controlled use of precious raw materials, to waste management, to energy conservation and to environmental protection. The latter, of course, has its impact on health protection. This strategy for sustainable development is also receiving an increasing priority in industrialized countries nowadays. The research programme on which will be reported focuses on the developments in Northern Vietnam, and is concerned with selecting local sand and gravel for mix proportioning, leading to gap-graded mixtures encompassing very fine sand. High-strength mixtures for industrialized production of concrete elements are investigated, as well as mixtures for site production of concrete. Blending of a lower quality of Portland cement (comparable with ASTM Type I cement) is further considered as an economic and sustainability measure. Fly ash, rice husk ash, lime stone powder and incinerated kaolinitic clay were so far considered for developments in high-performance and self-compacting ranges of cementitious composites. To-day's local fly ash quality in Vietnam is unsuited for the intended purpose, unfortunately, but the mono-blends of rice husk ash and calcined kaolin were of great promise. In the near future, multiple-blending with these components will be accomplished to optimize the economic and sustainability potentials of this concept. Some of the achievements will be reported.