Perfecting Progress™ Building a Sustainable Future With Envirocore™ GranCem® Cement Key Features: • Requires Less Production Energy than Portland Cement • Increased Strength Development • Improved Durability - Reduced Permeability - Enhanced Sulfate Resistance - Enhanced ASR Resistance • Lighter Colored Concrete PAGE 1 | Holcim GranCem® Cement Part of Holcim’s Envirocore™ Line of Products Holcim (US) Inc. is part of Holcim PROFILE Envirocore™ GranCem® cement, Holcim’s slag cement, has been supplied Ltd. of Switzerland, one of to North American customers since the late 1980s. GranCem cement the world’s leading producers is a hydraulic ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS) cement, which can replace pound-for-pound (kilo-for-kilo) a portion of other of cement and concrete cementitious materials in concrete mixtures. construction materials. Holcim GranCem cement is manufactured from iron blast-furnace slag, a (US) produces cement and related co-product of the iron-making process. Molten slag is tapped from a blast cementitious materials. furnace and water quenched with “jet-process” technology, converting the molten iron blast-furnace slag into granules, or granulated blast- furnace slag. The granules are milled into GranCem cement. GranCem cement meets the specifications ASTM C 989 - Standard Specification for Slag Cement for Use in Concrete and Mortars, and AASHTO M 302 – Standard Specification for Ground Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag for Use in Concrete and Mortars. Additionally, GranCem is recognized by the US EPA as a recovered material. When deciding to use GranCem cement in concrete mixtures, a few key facts should be considered. GranCem cement is finer than Type I portland cement, similar to that of a Type III portland cement. Whereas the specific gravity (relative density) of portland cement typically is 3.15, GranCem cement is about 2.89. The loose bulk density (pounds per cubic foot) of GranCem cement is about 80% that of portland cement. In 2003-2006 the Retirement Systems of Alabama built the RSA Battle House Tower building in Mobile—the tallest building in Alabama. GranCem was chosen for mass concrete in the 7-1/2’ thick matt foundation, providing strength, durability, and “green” properties while exceeding all engineering requirements for the critical 8400 cubic yard continuous concrete placement. Holcim | PAGE 2 GranCem and the Environment In today’s environmentally conscious world, the increasing use of recycled products represent a more responsible approach to the environment. In 1995, the United States Environmental Protection Agency listed GGBFS as a recovered material in the Federal Register. Thus, GranCem cement may apply toward meeting minimum recycled material content requirements for federally funded projects. The U.S. Green Building Council, the nation’s foremost coalition of leaders in green building, is working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. The council has developed a program directed at applying these principles. According to the USGBC, the LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building certification program is the nationally accepted bench mark for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. New York’s Yankee Stadium was completed in 2009 GranCem cement, an Envirocore™ product, may impact positively several and used 6,375 tons of GranCem cement. Holcim also LEED credit categories including: supplied 90% of the portland cement used. • Site credit for reduction of heat island effect • Materials credit for recycled content • Materials credit for use of local/ regional materials Graph Data References: Hemmings, R.T.; Cornelius, B.J., Mikols, W.J.; and Luther, M.D., “New North American Sources of Ground Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag for For more information on the LEED system, visit the Prevention of Deleterious Alkali-Silica Expansion in www.usgbc.org or contact a LEED AP. Concrete.” Fifth International Conference on Fly Ash, Silica Fume, Slag and Natural Pozzolans in Concrete, Supplementary Papers, CANMET/ACI, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, 1995, pp. 567-593. PAGE 3 | Holcim Performance ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVED DURABILITY Slag cement requires approximately GranCem cement has demonstrated improved concrete durability by 11% as much energy to produce as an reducing permeability, enhancing sulfate resistance and protecting against equivalent amount of portland cement. deleterious alkali-silica reaction (ASR) expansion. All concrete should be Results have shown that 50% slag cement appropriately cured, including concrete with GranCem cement. concrete mixtures represent only 52-70% the embodied energy of alternate 100% Reduced Permeability—The use of GranCem cement produces a concrete portland cement concrete mixtures. with a finer pore structure, thus increasing the concrete’s resistance to penetration by water or other substances. This reduction in permeability INCREASED STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT provides a concrete with enhanced durability. Typically, after about seven to ten days, GranCem cement mixtures may develop Enhanced Sulfate Resistance—Specific combinations of GranCem cement higher strength than portland cement with Type I portland cements have met or exceeded the sulfate resistance reference mixtures. This allows a greater criteria for moderate or high sulfate resistance. Use of GranCem cement ability to supply high performance with Type I portland cement can eliminate the need to store Type II or mixtures. Type V portland cement. REDUCED INITIAL TEMPERATURE WHITER OR BRIGHTER COLORS For mass concrete mixtures, high volumes Typically, GranCem cement is an offwhite color, and its use in concrete of GranCem cement used to replace lightens the color of mature concrete. When coloring pigments are used, portland cement can achieve lowered heat brighter colors may be achieved, or they may be achieved with less generation in large castings. pigment. During the normal curing process, lighter colored pavements, such as parking areas and streets, produce brighter environments and DESIRABLE HANDLING potentially improved visibility and safety. There is a potential for green or GranCem is shipped, handled, stored and blue-green concrete color until air drying has occurred. batched like portland cement. GranCem cement can be shipped by truck, rail ALKALI-SILICA REACTION or barge. For fresh concrete, GranCem Protection Against ASR Combinations of GranCem cement and portland cement has proven to improve uniformity, cements of various alkali contents yield concrete that is resistant to workability, pumpability, consolidation and Alkalki Silica Reactivity (ASR) to levels that typically are of concern. finishability. Increased slip-form casting (See chart below) rates have also been reported. >iXe:\d:\d\ek8JI<ogXej`fe '%*, '%*' '%), '%)' '%(, '%(' '%', '%'' '1('' ,'1,' '1('' ,'1,' (%))8cbXc`GfikcXe[ N`k_,'>iXe:\d %+(8cbXc`GfikcXe[ N`k_,'>iXe:\d :\d\ek :\d\ek :\d\ek :\d\ek .$[Xp 0$[Xp (+$[Xp (-$[Xp Holcim | PAGE 4 Applications PAVING COMMONLY SEEN GRANCEM CEMENT DOSAGE Slag cement concretes have been used RANGES FOR PORTLAND CEMENT / GRANCEM CEMENT routinely by state agencies in mainline COMBINATIONS paving along the Atlantic seaboard since the mid-1980s. Often, the slag cement replacement has been in the 30-50% Application Cold Weather (%) Hot Weather (%) range. Its use has increased significantly General Construction over the last decade, spurred by increased Foundations (see also Mass Concrete) 25-50 25-50 availability and performance. Pavement with GranCem cement has been Floors 15-25 25-40 associated with: Interior Slabs 15-40 25-50 • Increased placement rates Driveways and Exterior Slabs 15-25 15-30 • Ease of use with traditional Tilt-up 15-30 30-50 paving equipment Walls/Columns 15-30 25-50 • Desirable finishability and texturing Sulfate Resistance • Higher flexural strengths Moderate Sulfate Resistance >35 >35 • Lighter concrete color High Sulfate Resistance >50 >50 • Ternary concrete mixtures Alkali-Silica Reactivity >35 >35 with Slag Cement and pozzolans High-Strength Applications 25-40 30-50 Mass Concrete 60-80 60-80 TERNARY CONCRETE MIXTURES Precast Products WITH SLAG CEMENT Blocks 20-40 20-40 Ternary mixtures include three different Pipe 20-50 20-50 cementitious materials. Slag cement has Vaults/Septic Tanks/Box Culverts 20-40 20-40 been used in ternary mixtures for decades. Boxes 20-40 20-40 Ternary blends have been used in concrete exposed to freezing and thawing and de- Prestressed Products icing chemicals. In low water-cementitious Piling Poles 25-50 25-50 materials applications such as paving, Paving ternary mixtures have performed well. Highways 15-25 25-40 Streets 15-25 25-35 Airport Runways 15-25 25-55 Parking Lots 15-25 25-35 Bridge Decks 15-25 25-35 Providing builders and architects with pavers that can help NOTE: The optimum GranCem cement dosage may change with the them create a unique look - within their budget - is a trait that application, materials, conditions, and other factors. For special performance builds not only magnificent projects, but stellar reputations. applications, the minimum, or optimum, dose, or dosage range may best be Manufacturing stronger, appealing, and greener concrete pavers is the key to helping make that happen. determined through testing. US Cellular Field – Chicago, IL PAGE 5 | Holcim Veteran’s Glass City Skyway – Toledo, OH MASS CONCRETE Mass concrete is defined by ACI Cement The optimum replacement range lies between 60 and 80 percent, with and Concrete