McMaster University

Published purpose

Despite being a major economic driver, Canada’s cement and concrete sector is one of the most challenging to decarbonize with Portland cement accounting for 90% of its emissions. Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) offer a promising emission reduction pathway, yet progress is constrained by declining supplies of traditional SCMs and siloed research hindering standardization. This Project introduces a novel Triaxial Research Framework to accelerate low-carbon concrete adoption by: (1) Identifying emerging SCMs and assessing their availability at commercial scales, (2) Fast-tracking lab-to-field performance validation, and (3) incorporating materials research, life-cycle-assessment, and standardization into a unified platform. Focused on three high-potential SCMs (ground-glass pozzolans, steel slag, and biomass ash), the Project conducts nationwide supply analysis, comprehensive lab-to-field testing, and life-cycle assessments from component to national scales. Outcomes include validated high-replacement SCM concretes, accelerated advancement to TRL 8, and charting of robust decarbonization pathways to lower Canada’s clinker-to-cement ratio and support Net-Zero goals.