New 'low carbon' cement idea wins international engineering prize

Civil engineers who developed a new type of cement which creates 80% fewer carbon emissions have won a prestigious international prize.

Dr Monower Sadique and a team from the School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, have created a new geopolymer concrete which is free from chemical solutions and cheaper to produce than conventional cement.

The method, published last year in a top journal, has earned the pair the Charles Manby Research Prize from the Institution for Civil Engineering.

Dr Sadique, said: “This research developed concrete that is free from chemical solutions based on the combination of alumina-silicate rich materials with suitable alkaline content. We hope it will impact the construction sector in developing an equivalent alternative to cement and widespread application of geopolymer in construction.

“To be recognised by the ICE is a fantastic honour and a great boost for our research here at LJMU.

'Improving lives'

Dr Sadique worked with Dr Khalid Hashim, Dr Rafal Al Mufti and Abdullah Kadhim, who achieved his PhD as part of the studies.

Each year the Institution for Civil Engineers chooses around 30 research papers which it deems outstanding in a range of construction fields.

Ed McCann, President Institution of Civil Engineers told an audience at the awards ceremony on October 14: “The people we recognise today are leading our profession forward, improving lives by ensuring the world has the engineering capacity and infrastructure systems it needs to allow our planet and those who live on it, to thrive.”

The paper nominated in the award is: Developing one-part alkali-activated metakaolin/natural pozzolan binders using lime waste Published in Advances in Cement Research, Volume 33 Issue 8, August, 2021, pp. 342-356