New generation concretes - Properties and applications

Abstract

Concrete is one of the most commonly used building materials in the world. Its production is increasing year by year, and is associated with harmful emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and particulates (PM10) into the environment, as well as the deterioration of natural resources. In accordance with the policy of sustainability, new technologies have being introduced into the civil engineering industry for several decades, for example new generation concrete. Depending on the specific application and innovation needs, they are characterised by different mechanical properties, structure, mix composition or behaviour in comparison to conventional concretes. These changes are intended, among other things, to minimize environmental impact during production, increase the durability and resistance to environmental hazards, prolong the reliability of the structure and reduce the life cycle costs of the structure. Examples of concretes belonging to the group of new generation concretes are above all: high performance concretes, self-compacting concretes, eco-efficient concretes, self-healing concretes. The paper presents a general outline of the issues related to the new generation concretes. The differences between each new generation concrete and conventional concrete are described. Possible applications of new generation concretes in civil engineering are presented. An attempt was made to determine the advantages and disadvantages of each of the discussed concretes.