Abstract
Today, a vast number of existing concrete residential structures are reaching or have reached the end of their expected service life. As deterioration continues, with damage in 50 to 80% related to reinforcement corrosion, the need for concrete repair is high. However, early failure (e.g. debonding and cracks) often occurs in repair mortars. In addition, two to three times more cement is used than in standard cementitious mixes (e.g. concrete, mortar), with cement production contributing to 5-8% of the global CO2 emissions, a pressing need emerges for the development of optimal, sustainable and durable repair mortars, especially with the transition towards a Circular Economy and the European Green Deal in mind. To obtain this, cement replacement materials should be selected such that a maximum CO2-emission/clinker content reduction can be achieved. Moreover, durability, which is the ability of a product to endure its lifetime, will be incorporated by thermo-hydro-mechanical testing, with a strong focus on shrinkage, bond strength, carbonation and chloride resistance, and applicability. Sustainability, on the other hand, will be considered during design by limiting the material production impact and optimised by a life cycle assessment (LCA) and a life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) of the repair mortar. Eventually, the LC(C)A and test results will, via multi-criteria decision analysis, determine the most optimal, durable and sustainable repair mortar for a specific application.
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