Dr. Semion Zhutovsky
Laboratory of Alternative Binders
Laboratory of alternative cementitious materials was founded at National Building Research Institute (NBRI) by Dr. Semion Zhutovsky at the Technion in 2017 to provide infrastructure and technical basis for the innovative research in the area of cementitious materials that continues over several decades in NBRI since its establishment. In addition to the existing proficiency of NBRI in studying mechanical and durability properties of cementitious materials, the laboratory provides capability and know-how in the research of cement production technology, optimization, and development.
The major topics of the current research conducted in the laboratory include recycling of concrete waste fines into new Portland cement clinker, producing traditional Portland cement from alternative materials to reduce CO2 emissions, self-healing cementitious materials, the study on optimization of supplementary cementitious materials by means of various activation techniques and their different combinations in ternary and quaternary blends, as well as producing alternative binders with reduced energy consumption and carbon footprints such as belite-rich cement, calcium-sulfate-aluminate cement, and belite-ye’elimite-ferrite cement.
Areas of research interest
Our Research Interests include the following areas: Supplementary Cementitious Materials and Alternative Binders; Durability and Sustainability of Cementitious Materials; Sulfate Attack in Cementitious Materials; High-Performance Concrete; Internal Curing; Cracking Potential; Shrinkage of Concrete; Early-Age Properties of Concrete; Self-healing of Cementitious Materials, Recycling of Building Materials, Multiscale Modeling of Cementitious Materials; Behavior of Cement Paste, Mortar, and Concrete under Extremely High Hydrostatic Pressure
Environmentally-friendly binders based on belite-rich calcium sulfoaluminate-ferrite system.
Recycling of concrete waste for the production of Portland cement clinker
Research Infrastructure
The experimental equipment infrastructure in the laboratory includes X-Ray diffractometer (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) combined with differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), laser diffractometer, automatic Vicat apparatus, mercury intrusion porosimeter (MIP), helium pycnometer, isothermal calorimeter, thin sections preparation machine and petrographic microscope. In addition to this, all research equipment that is available in other faculties and research centers of Technion is accessible for the research needs of the lab. This includes, for example, such equipment as scanning electron microscope (SEM), inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscope (TEM).
Research group of Dr. Semion Zhutovsky
Our group includes experienced senior researchers, as well as graduate students. We are working on the development of new alternative binders, using new raw materials for alternative and traditional binders, sustainability and durability of cementitious materials, cracking and self-healing, microstructure, and much more. To become a member of our team send us CV and motivation letter (semionzh@technion.ac.il).