Concrete and cement production is one of the highest CO2 contributors in the industrial sector.
The possible ways to reduce the carbon footprint is to focus on concrete durability and the use
of recycled materials. The project proposes the combination of cementitious composite skin
from high performance concrete (HPC) reinforced by unconventional textile reinforcement with
recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) core with traditional steel reinforcement. The environmental
benefits of the use of HPC come from its excellent durability and mechanical properties that
allow to design slender structures and therefore reduce the amount of concrete. The HPC skin
protects the RAC core and thereby improves the durability of the composite since RAC suffers
from faster carbonation. Furthermore, the core is expected to increase the ductility of the
composite, and to improve its fire safety. This solution widens the possibility of structural use of
RAC and efficient use of HPC. Essential project goal is to qualify and quantify environmental
benefits of the application of these types of composites.