Purdocement: application of alkali-activated slag cement in Belgium in the 1950s

Nowadays, alkali-activated cements attract worldwide attention because their production is associated with much lower CO2 emissions compared to that of Portland cement (PC). However, little information can be found on the strength and durability behavior of concrete made with alkali-activated cement. This is rather surprising since alkali-activated cement has already been used in the past. For example, Purdocement, an alkali-activated cement invented by Arthur Oscar Purdon, has been used in Belgium in the 1950s. This paper presents (1) a historical review of Purdocement, (2) an inventory of the buildings in which this cement type was used and (3) a durability assessment of the still existing buildings. A lot of structures could be located, but only one of them was found suitable for sampling. The use of alkali-activated slag binder in these buildings has been confirmed by chemical analyses (XRD, ICP-OES, NMR, SEM–EDX) and the strength and durability behavior in the long-term was evaluated. The results showed that concrete made with Purdocement is quite vulnerable to carbonation, but the residual mechanical strength (~50 N/mm2) is still high after ~60 years.     «

Nowadays, alkali-activated cements attract worldwide attention because their production is associated with much lower CO2 emissions compared to that of Portland cement (PC). However, little information can be found on the strength and durability behavior of concrete made with alkali-activated cement. This is rather surprising since alkali-activated cement has already been used in the past. For example, Purdocement, an alkali-activated cement invented by Arthur Oscar Purdon, has been used in Belg...     »