The impact of blended cements on the spalling behavior of concrete at elevated temperatures: a review

The cement and concrete industries are striving to reduce the CO₂ emissions caused by the production of Portland cement. An effective way to achieve this is to replace Portland cement clinker with more environmentally friendly supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) to produce blended cements. A variety of different SCMs are used today, from fly ash to more exotic options such as rice husk ash or waste glass powder. Depending on its material properties, concrete exposed to fire may experience spalling caused by thermomechanical and thermohydraulic mechanisms. Severe spalling leads to a reduction in the cross-section and exposure of the reinforcement, jeopardizing the load-bearing capacity of the concrete element. The use of blended cements changes the concrete properties which can affect spalling behavior at high temperatures. The link between high temperature and spalling behavior of concrete with blended cements has been investigated in several studies. A review of the existing literature led to the conclusion that the cement type influences the spalling behavior of concrete. However, the relationship does not appear to be clear, as there are contradictions and inconsistencies between the evaluated results. Therefore, further in-depth studies will help to gain a more precise understanding of the effects of blended cements on the spalling behavior of concrete at elevated temperatures.