Strength development of concrete: balancing production requirements and ecological impact

The effective production of concrete structures requires adequate control of
strength development in order to realise the scheduled production cycles. Demoulding of elements can take place only when sufficient strength is gained and the production cycle has to be maintained with seasonal changes of temperature. The use of Portland Cement promotes high early age strengths, but comes with a relative high impact on the environment since decarbonation and a high energy demand come along with cement production. Supplementary cementitious materials have been widely applied to improve the sustainability of concrete but the rate of early age strength development often is compromised to some degree.