This $220,000 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) will fund a collaborative research effort led by the Georgia Tech Research Corporation to develop a multiscale framework for understanding saturation and coupled ice/salt crystallization phenomena in low/zero clinker cementitious materials. The goal is to elucidate the mechanisms of air void formation, saturation, and coupled crystallization damage in these sustainable concrete formulations, in order to inform the creation of highly durable and resilient concrete mixtures suitable for cold environments. The 3-year project will employ a combination of multiscale experimental methods, molecular dynamics simulations, and advanced characterization techniques to link microscopic characteristics to macroscopic concrete performance, ultimately producing a model to predict the longevity of low/zero clinker materials under freeze-thaw conditions. This research aims to enable broader implementation of sustainable concrete materials in building and infrastructure applications, advancing the state-of-the-art in porous media mechanics, computational science, and analytical techniques.
Generated 2/25/25, 3:58 AM