Development of calcium sulfate – ggbs – Portland cement binders

Binders manufactured using a blend of gypsum, ground granulated blast furnace slag and Portland cements are technically viable and possess considerable environmental and economic advantages when compared to binders manufactured using Portland cement alone. As such, the evaluation of binders made from these materials offers a promising research focus in the quest to produce technically sound, environmental and economical binders for specialist uses as an alternative to traditional concrete binders of higher carbon footprint. The aim of the test programme was to investigate the viability of a series of binders designed to fulfil particular user needs while having significantly decreased carbon footprints. Two distinct series of binders were designed; the dominant ingredient in the first was calcium sulfate while in the second it was ggbs. Potential applications for both series of binders were considered and the strength development of each binder was analysed. In