Novel low-carbon eco-concrete filled-FRP tubes under axial compression: Experimental behavior and analytical model

Abstract

<p>Concrete is essential in global construction but significantly contributes to carbon emissions, primarily due to cement production. The cement industry is adopting low-carbon practices, such as using supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) to reduce emissions. Concrete prepared with calcined clay can achieve a carbon reduction effect of approximately 30 % compared to ordinary cement. Current studies highlight the reuse of kaolin clay, the predominant constituent of engineering sediment in Shenzhen, China, providing raw materials for sustainable low-carbon and eco-friendly concrete. However, high substitution rates of calcined clay can compromise concrete strength, posing a challenge for the application in load-bearing structures. This study proposed a novel low-carbon eco-friendly concrete (i.e., using calcined clay as supplementary cementitious materials) filled into FRP tubes (i.e., Low-Carbon Eco-Concrete-Filled FRP Tubes, termed LCE-CFFTs) aiming to enhance substitution rates of calcined clay and to improve compressive strength and ductility. This paper provides a detailed description of the preparation method, chemical reaction process, chemical composition, and microstructure of calcined clay. Experimental tests investigated the axial compressive performance of LCE-CFFTs, considering calcined clay substitution rates and FRP thickness as key parameters. The experimental work and theoretical analysis indicated that: the inclusion of 10 % and 40 % calcined clay led to a reduction in carbon emissions, resulting in a decrement of 5.8 % and 23.3 %, respectively; confinement provided by FRP tubes mitigated the reduction in axial compressive strength resulting from calcined clay inclusion, particularly evident at higher substitution rates (40 %); the effect of FRP tube confinement in improving peak stress and axial performance of LCE-CFFTs became more pronounced with higher calcined clay substitution rates; to more accurately predict the axial compressive behavior of LCE-CFFTs of this study, it is essential to consider the biaxial stress-strain state of filament-wound FRP tubes.</p>