Research

Vision, Goals and Research Interests

The major goal of the Laboratory of Alternative Binders is to provide infrastructure and technical basis for innovative research in the area of cementitious materials. We see our laboratory providing capability and know-how in the research of cement production technology, optimization, and development.

The major topics of the current research conducted by Dr. Semion Zhutovsky 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 cements, calcium-sulfate-aluminate cements, and belite-ye’elimite-ferrite cements.

Recent projects include:

  • “Oil shale as an energy source and raw material for the production of cement in Israel” funded by The Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources.
  • “Recycling of concrete waste for the production of Portland cement clinker” funded by The Ministry of Construction and Housing.
  • “Examination of lightweight aggregate manufacturing methods using Israeli raw materials” funded by The Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources.
  • “Failure of Prestressed Concrete Sleepers – Preliminary study” funded by Israel Railways.
  • “Projectile penetration into a concrete medium: development of the optimal impactor shape as a function of concrete properties” funded by Peter Munk Research Institute.
  • “Recycling of concrete waste for the production of Portland cement clinker Stage II” funded by The Ministry of Construction and Housing.
  • “Development of environmentally-friendly cementitious materials made with recycled industrial by-products” funded by The Ministry of Construction and Housing.

Recent Research Projects

The most recent projects include such topics as recycling, alternative materials for cement production, and the development of alternative cementitious materials under governmental and private funding.

Adam-Thin section machine

Environmentally-friendly binders based on belite-rich calcium sulfoaluminate-ferrite system

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Israeli oil shales as an alternative raw material for Portland cement production

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Chlorides square

Recycling of concrete waste for the production of Portland cement clinker

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Research cooperation

If you have research ideas, need to carry out testing or a failure analysis, please contact us!