Influence of humidity conditions on the performance of CO2-cured LC3
In the pursuit of low-carbon cement technologies, both limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) and CO₂ curing have shown great promise for reducing emissions in the construction industry. This study investigates the synergistic effects of CO₂ curing and ambient humidity on the mechanical performance an...
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Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Case Studies in Construction Materials |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214509525005455 |
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| author | Zhongming Li Yin Bai Qi Luo |
| author_facet | Zhongming Li Yin Bai Qi Luo |
| author_sort | Zhongming Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the pursuit of low-carbon cement technologies, both limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) and CO₂ curing have shown great promise for reducing emissions in the construction industry. This study investigates the synergistic effects of CO₂ curing and ambient humidity on the mechanical performance and microstructure of LC3. Cylindrical LC3 specimens were prepared using a low water-to-binder ratio and compaction molding, followed by 3-hour CO₂ curing under different relative humidity conditions (50 %, 70 %, and 95 %) and subsequent conventional curing. The results reveal that CO₂ curing significantly enhances the strength and densification of LC3. At an optimal cement replacement level of 30 %, compressive strength at 28 days increased by up to 18.8 % under high-humidity carbonation (95 %) compared to non-carbonated reference samples. At 90 days, the strength reached 87.3 MPa. High humidity during carbonation facilitated the formation of calcium carbonate and C-S-H gels, leading to a denser microstructure with reduced porosity and crack formation. These findings demonstrate that combining LC3 with humidity-optimized CO₂ curing offers a robust pathway toward high-performance, low-carbon cementitious materials, with clear implications for sustainable construction practices. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-39b620c54816419f9e469c078a7f39d9 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2214-5095 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Case Studies in Construction Materials |
| spelling | doaj-art-39b620c54816419f9e469c078a7f39d92025-08-20T02:27:15ZengElsevierCase Studies in Construction Materials2214-50952025-07-0122e0474710.1016/j.cscm.2025.e04747Influence of humidity conditions on the performance of CO2-cured LC3Zhongming Li0Yin Bai1Qi Luo2School of Civil Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing 400074, PR ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing 400074, PR ChinaDepartment of Civil and Architectural Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark; Corresponding author.In the pursuit of low-carbon cement technologies, both limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) and CO₂ curing have shown great promise for reducing emissions in the construction industry. This study investigates the synergistic effects of CO₂ curing and ambient humidity on the mechanical performance and microstructure of LC3. Cylindrical LC3 specimens were prepared using a low water-to-binder ratio and compaction molding, followed by 3-hour CO₂ curing under different relative humidity conditions (50 %, 70 %, and 95 %) and subsequent conventional curing. The results reveal that CO₂ curing significantly enhances the strength and densification of LC3. At an optimal cement replacement level of 30 %, compressive strength at 28 days increased by up to 18.8 % under high-humidity carbonation (95 %) compared to non-carbonated reference samples. At 90 days, the strength reached 87.3 MPa. High humidity during carbonation facilitated the formation of calcium carbonate and C-S-H gels, leading to a denser microstructure with reduced porosity and crack formation. These findings demonstrate that combining LC3 with humidity-optimized CO₂ curing offers a robust pathway toward high-performance, low-carbon cementitious materials, with clear implications for sustainable construction practices.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214509525005455Limestone calcined clay cementCarbonation curingHumidity levelMechanical propertyMicrostructural analysis |
| spellingShingle | Zhongming Li Yin Bai Qi Luo Influence of humidity conditions on the performance of CO2-cured LC3 Case Studies in Construction Materials Limestone calcined clay cement Carbonation curing Humidity level Mechanical property Microstructural analysis |
| title | Influence of humidity conditions on the performance of CO2-cured LC3 |
| title_full | Influence of humidity conditions on the performance of CO2-cured LC3 |
| title_fullStr | Influence of humidity conditions on the performance of CO2-cured LC3 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Influence of humidity conditions on the performance of CO2-cured LC3 |
| title_short | Influence of humidity conditions on the performance of CO2-cured LC3 |
| title_sort | influence of humidity conditions on the performance of co2 cured lc3 |
| topic | Limestone calcined clay cement Carbonation curing Humidity level Mechanical property Microstructural analysis |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214509525005455 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zhongmingli influenceofhumidityconditionsontheperformanceofco2curedlc3 AT yinbai influenceofhumidityconditionsontheperformanceofco2curedlc3 AT qiluo influenceofhumidityconditionsontheperformanceofco2curedlc3 |