Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) is humanity’s second most-used material after water, and usage is set to increase even more as the developing world grows exponentially, and with that, the need for cheap and efficient concrete infrastructure. The accompanying carbon dioxide releases from cement production (4-8% of all man-made carbon emissions) are also a growing issue. Numerous industrial waste products, called Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs), have been introduced to concrete to replace cement and enhance its properties, thus reducing cement consumption. Current standard SCMs may not be enough to supply the developing world’s ever-increasing concrete demand. Therefore, this project, performed on-site at Fortera and Cemex with industry professionals, characterizes the novel SCM Coconut Shell Ash (CSA), and offers a holistic review of CSA based on compiled industry-grade (ASTM) metrics such as slump and compressive strength over 56 days, experimental analysis of other avenues utilizing chemical composition and geopolymerization potential, and finally cumulative analysis based on cement replacement potential, availability, and economic/political factors.

The work will be performed at Fortera and at Cemex industrial testing laboratory in Livermore. The results show the effectiveness of CSA in numerous important metrics, and has shown average cement replacement effectiveness, but results often vary when tested in an industrial setting. The final products, an expanded version of a prior research paper, a presentation, and a public-friendly magazine-style article connect my research to the everyday lives of the audience, whether they be professionals, scientists, the general population, or students, inspiring them to view environmental issues in an interdisciplinary manner instead of inside a vacuum.