Pushing the green concrete envelope

26 June 2012



Scientists believe they have made a revolutionary breakthrough in the development of a new cement which not only has green credentials but, Blue World Crete believes, will give Portland cement a run for its money.


Scientists at Blue World Crete have announced new discoveries in green building materials technology. The first of these is a hybrid of geo-polymer and nano-ceramic cement which, the company claims, looks set to be a complete low carbon footprint alternative to Portland cement. Blue World Crete believes that it looks like, acts like, works like Portland cement and it can be distributed in the same way with the same equipment at a fraction of the manufacturing cost.

The scientists have named this new age cement Geo-Blue Crete: a one-part system which only requires a simple paddle mixing of its powdered chemical formula at ambient temperatures. No heat is required in its manufacturing process and it is not dependent on fossil fuels or large kilns as is required in the case of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). Yet its delivery system remains the same and the product itself results in a high performance concrete - 6000psi and over. It is water retardant, acid retardant, discourages the oxidation of rebar, and has a near zero coefficient of expansion which makes it excellent in below freezing temperatures as well as tropical regions of the world. It does not transfer heat very well, which makes for great insulating properties and, best of all, it is made of post industrial waste materials which makes it ‘green’.

Geo-Blue Crete II

Geo-Blue Crete II uses less water in its concrete mix and will reach three times the compression and tensile strengths of Portland, says the company. ASTM, 3rd party testing, has yielded results that are off the charts. Geo- Blue Crete II is not dependent on a recipe of manufactured chemical mix products, but rather totally independent and reliant only on a generic chemical formulation, thus, the final step in the commercialisation of the Geo-Blue Crete II product has been achieved.

According to Art Galietti, Chief Operating Officer at Blue World Crete, the product can also be manufactured in portable plants which cost about 5% of the capital outlay for an equivalent OPC manufacturing plant. He added that this low cost/high performance concrete geo-polymer not only exhibits resistance to water, salt and acid but additionally, has three times the tensile and compressive strength of OPC. “Our science is sensitive to the end consumer who now can enjoy a cost savings about 10-15% less than Portland,” he claims.

Galietti also indicated that the company is negotiating with several manufacturers and distributors worldwide, namely the US, Colombia, Brazil, Australia and Nigeria amongst others. He indicated that plan are afoot for exclusive licensing of their technology for manufacturers in different areas of the world.

“Geo-Blue Crete II provides a solution to our need for an economically green alternative to Portland cement while also providing a high performance solution for engineers and architects,” he said. “We are about to enter into a new paradigm shift in construction materials.”

Pushing the green concrete envelope even further, Blue World Crete, has developed Geo-Blue Crete III and Geo-Blue Coatings. Geo-Blue Crete III concrete has the capacity to reach extremely high compression and tensile strengths. It will reach early high compression strengths and within 28 days easily climbs over 10,000psi. It is a monolithic substance and forms very strong covalent bonds which encapsulate aggregate materials on a molecular level.

Blue World Crete has also introduced a new methodology in which its products can be transformed into a fluid spray or pumped material. Among numerous other applications, these products can be utilised in construction and repair. The methodology can easily take advantage of indigenous excavated materials which become part of the final mix.

The spray version of Geo-Blue Crete is known as Geo-Blue Coatings. It can be sprayed on rebar and other metal structures and retards the oxidation of metal. Additionally, Geo-Blue Coatings can be sprayed and painted on almost any surface as a heat protective geopolymer coating. According to Galietti, the protective capability of Geo-Blue Coatings is one of the salient features that will cause many industry technologists to recommend it as the product of choice to protect against chemically harsh and extreme heat conditions.

To highlight the strong protective quality of Geo-Blue Coatings, Galietti reports that he has two samples of rebar on his conference table and that each sample was placed in a plastic bottle filled with salt water from the nearby ocean in Deerfield Beach, Florida.

“One rebar is painted with Geo-Blue Coatings and the other is not,” Galietti said. After three months, he observed that in the bottle in which the rebar was painted with Geo-Blue Coatings, the water has remained clear and free from rust, while the other bottle is clouded with rust and corrosion from the unprotected rebar.

He further disclosed that Blue World Crete is currently in discussions to use Geo-Blue Coatings at an existing hydroelectric plant on the US West Coast. The product will be used to coat stacks, turbine parts and heat exchange piping etc. It will resist high temperatures, sulphates, solvents, acidic chemicals, as well as other harsh chemicals and inclement weather conditions. Galietti explained: ‘Our coatings product does not require primers because it forms covalent bonds at the molecular level. It will be the product of choice in repair and protection of our current Portland based infrastructure.’

Wood alternatives

Currently, company scientists are working with a new technology; a complete green alternative to wood. Geo-Blue Wood is a wood-like material which never rots is resistant to acid, salt, alkali, insects, and nearly fire proof. It looks like wood, cuts and drills like wood but cannot be destroyed by the elements or by being buried for years at a time. It is also claimed that Geo-Blue Wood defies expected economic models by being 10% less expensive than most treated timber. Indeed Brazil has shown great interest in making their electric pole cross-beams out of Geo-Blue Wood, as well as railroad ties.

Blue World Crete products believes that its products’ green credentials will ensure commercial success in green world initiatives and will prove to be a bonus for carbon credit seekers. Galietti believes that his company has once again proven that science can protect our precious environment by discovery.



Dam construction considerations

When speaking particularly about dam construction, Art Galietti, CEO of Blue World Crete, says that his company will require project specifications, as well as details about what dam construction companies have currently been achieving when using traditional Portland cement. This will allow the scientists at Blue World Crete to customise the technology/formula to meet and, it claims, even exceed these. A summary of test results are provided at the end of this article.
Galietti believes that his product will be of value to any company looking to either build a dam or reinforce/repair/preserve an existing structure. For more information contact Art Galietti at Blue World Crete, email info@blueworldcrete.com



Summary of Tests Results, Geo-Blue Crete II:

Chemical Soak Test, 168 hrs, ASTM D 543:
Transformer oil 1.9% loss
Hydrochloric Acid 1.7%
Acetic Acid 1.8%
Sulfuric Acid 2.1%
Sodium Hydroxide 2.9%
Sodium Chloride 2.4%
Sodium Sulfate 4.7%
Sodium Carbonate 1.7%

Absorption Test on Concrete Cylinders, 28days, ASTM FM 3-C-497-05
5.42%
Tensile Strength Concrete Cylinders
3 day: 69 psi
8 day: 71 psi
14 day: 88 psi
29 day: 101psi

Compressive Strength Concrete Cylinders
3 day: 3,300 psi
7 day: 5,170 psi
14 day: 5,400 psi
29 day: 6,180 psi

Soil/Sulfate Test
21 ppm Sulfate


Summary of Tests Results, Geo-Blue Mortar:
Compressive Strength Grout Cylinders
3 day: 2,920 psi
7 day: 3,790 psi
28 day: 4,250 psi

Compressive Strength Grout Cylinders
3 day: 2,070 psi
7 day: 3,610 psi
14 day: 4,430 psi
29 day: 4,530 psi



Conduit type concrete pipe Conduit type concrete pipe
Cut finely Cut finely
Wood replacememt Wood replacememt
No damage No damage
'Green' road 'Green' road


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