Carbon reduction of precast concrete under the marine environment

• Low-carbon precast concrete panel for marine environment was developed.
• A life cycle assessment technique was used to estimate the carbon dioxide reduction.
• A significant carbon reduction was estimated.

In this study, precast concrete panel was developed by substituting blast-furnace slag for part of the unit weight of cement in the precast concrete mix. A life cycle assessment technique was used to estimate the carbon dioxide reduction. Carbon reduction in the materials as well as during the production phase was considered. Blast-furnace slag substitution ratios of 50, 60, and 70 wt.% were used to develop the precast concrete panel formulation. The steam curing time was taken as a variable with values of 8, 7, 6, 5, and 4 h. Results showed that the precast concrete panel formulation with 60% of the unit weight of cement replaced by blast-furnace slag satisfied the design compressive strength criterion when steam curing was applied for 6 h. The carbon dioxide emission was 33.8% lower than that of the control mix, which underwent no blast-furnace slag substitution and 8 h of steam curing.