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Integrating Food Loss And Waste Reduction Policies With Global Dietary Shifts: An Economic Modelling Study, Alessandro Gatto, Maksym Chepeliev

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Background

Methods

“If I Ruled The World”: Deploying Spatial Imaginaries For Examining Anti-Blackness And Space In Precollege Engineering Education, Christopher Wright, Monet V. F. Harbison

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Engineering’s systemic exclusion of Black people has been a decades-long inquiry. While critical race theory and community cultural wealth have been utilized to examine anti-Blackness in precollege engineering education, critical geographies have been underutilized. This essay contends that the deployment of a spatial imaginaries lens could be used to expand understandings of the spatial imaginary of anti-Blackness in the discipline. Using historical and contemporary data from an engineering high school as well as nonpositivist ways of knowing, the essay contends that examining spatial realities and underpinnings are opportune provocations for redefining purposes, assumptions, and values in precollege engineering education.

Paws And Effect: Canine Companionship And Outcomes In The Chronic Health Condition Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Kimberley C. Schenke, Joanna Foster, Danielle Stephens-Lewis

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Emerging research suggests canine companions may support the management of health conditions, yet evidence within complex, long-term conditions like hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) remains limited. hEDS is a multifaceted condition often associated with social withdrawal. Thus, the current research provided a high-powered investigation into whether the nonjudgmental support of canine companions could improve health and well-being outcomes for individuals with hEDS. An online survey of 401 participants was utilized to compare differences in health and well-being among individuals with hEDS who have a canine companion to those who do not. Results revealed that participants with canine companions experienced fewer difficulties …

Fiber Reinforced Concrete Composites - Seminal Contributions Of Surendra Shah, Vellore S. Gopalaratnam, Wengui Li

C3 Symposium 2025

The authors review the scholarly contributions of Surendra P. Shah during a prolific six-decade academic career in fiber reinforced concrete composites. This compilation includes discussions on often cited seminal publications encompassing experimental mechanics, analytical modeling, the development of test standards, materials characterization and innovations in the science of fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) materials. Collectively, these contributions have greatly improved our insights on how the nano- and micro-mechanics of such composites and processing techniques affect the macroscopic performance of creatively engineered reinforced cement composites. Starting with his Ph.D. the first contribution to understanding the inelastic behavior and fracture of concrete, the …

Fresh And Mechanical Properties Of The Ultra-High-Performance Concrete With Cellulose Nanofibers, Xiaoli Xiong, Chengcheng Tao, Kamal H. Khayat

C3 Symposium 2025

Water-sensitive cellulose significantly impacts the performance of the ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC), leading to variations in its fresh and mechanical properties of fresh and hardened concrete materials. In this study, the cellulose nanofibers, a more environmentally friendly class of nanomaterials, are introduced into UHPC. The rheological and mechanical properties of UHPC are investigated, including viscosity, yield stress and compressive strength. The results reveal significant effect of cellulose nanofibers on the properties of UHPC in terms of material performance and sustainability. Advanced characterization techniques, including isothermal calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) are employed to study the effect of cellulose …

Durability Of Sisal Fibers Reinforced Cement-Based Plates, Kaio Campos, Kíssila Goliath, L. Souza, F. Teixeira

C3 Symposium 2025

Sustainable materials have been gaining increasing attention in the construction sector due to their environmental advantages and the need for cost-effective solutions. An example of this is vegetable fibers, which are recognized as a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative for the reinforcement of cementitious composites in civil engineering applications. To contribute to our knowledge about the durability of these materials, this study investigated the mechanical behavior of cementitious plates reinforced with 5% long aligned sisal fibers materials after being subjected to accelerated aging. To improve the durability of the composite, 50% of the cement in matrix was replaced by 40% metakaolin …

Impact Of Inter-Grinding On The Reaction Kinetics And Physical Properties Of One-Part Alkali-Activated Metakaolin, Meddelin Setiawan, Claire E. White

C3 Symposium 2025

Developing alkali-activated materials (AAM) is one of the pathways to decarbonize cement manufacturing that currently contributes 5-8% of global anthropogenic carbon emissions [1]. However, extensive deployment of AAMs in industry has yet to be realized, part of which is due to the reluctance to work with “two-part” activation that requires handling large amounts of concentrated caustic solutions [2]. Here, a “one-part” AAM has been developed using calcined kaolin clay and a solid sodium silicate source. Inter-grinding of the dry mixture is found to increase the kinetics of alkali-activation and improve rheological properties of the paste. The underlying physicochemical properties responsible …

Enhancing Early Strength Development Through Co2-Induced Hydration Acceleration, Patrick Rubaszewski, Thomas Matschei

C3 Symposium 2025

This study investigates the accelerating effect of gaseous CO2 on cement hydration.The addition of up to 0.2% CO2 by weight of cement during the mixing process led to increased compressive strength after 24 hours and greater heat release during the acceleration phase. However, higher concentrations negatively affected workability and hydration kinetics, resulting in lower compressive strength.

Graphene Reinforced Cement-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator For Efficient Energy Harvesting, Wenkui Dong, Wengui Li

C3 Symposium 2025

This study investigated a graphene reinforced cement-based triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) aimed at harvesting mechanical energies in infrastructure. The triboelectric layers of the cement-based TENG consisted of a fully cured graphene modified cement-based plate and a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film, which were tested under a contact-separation mode. Microstructural analysis indicated that the graphene was well-dispersed in the cementitious matrix, and the graphene-cement composites achieved excellent compressive and flexural strengths of 53.0 and 3.5 MPa, respectively. The electrical characteristics of the graphene-cement composites, specifically their resistivity and impedance, showed that they did not reach the percolation threshold, making them ideal dielectric materials with …

Computational Simulations Fresh-To-Solid Transition For Additive Manufacturing Of Ultra-High-Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete, Erol Lale, Bahar Ayhan, Ayesha Ahmed, Elmer Irizarry, Jiaqi Liu, Shady Gomaa, Raul Marrero-Rosa, Gianluca Cusatis

C3 Symposium 2025

Additive manufacturing of concrete is a topic of interest within the academia and industry. Simulating the printable concrete behavior from the fresh state to hardened state to long-term will provide the future engineers the ability to optimize the design and predict failure of structural elements. A key aspect for concrete additive manufacturing is the complexity of optimization which includes systems, schedule, and materials. Our research focus on the simulation fresh state, hardened behavior, and the transition from fluid-to-solid of nanoclay modified ERDC ultra-high-performance fiber reinforced concrete system. Discrete fresh concrete model (DFC) and Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) model are studied …

Mechanics Of Fracture In Layered Architected Materials, Reza Moini, Aimane Najmeddine, Shashank Gupta

C3 Symposium 2025

This talk asks the role of mechanics of materials, particularly fracture mechanics in design and engineering civil infrastructure materials. Concrete, a quasi-brittle material is the backbone of the civil infrastructure. Decades of research on engineering and fracture mechanics of concrete led by the hundreds of pioneering works of great scholars, have helped us understand mechanism of crack initiation and propagation in heterogeneous materials. However, there remain a significant need to continue understand mechanics of damage in conventional and novel heterogeneous infrastructure materials. Growth in automation and robotics (e.g., 3D-printing), innovative cementitious composite materials (e.g., architected material), and numerical frameworks (e.g., …

Form Optimization Applications Of 3d Concrete Printing: From Bridge To Protective Structures, Kolluru V. L. Subramaniam, Prashant R. Singh, Sohanth T. Maganty, Spandana Paritala

C3 Symposium 2025

In construction, 3D concrete printing (3DCP) is emerging as a technology that has the potential to create a significant impact on the state of practice and overcome several limitations of conventional construction processes. 3DCP focuses on delivery systems that build a structure using layer deposition. 3DCP technology is, however, still in a nascent stage in construction-related applications. Techniques for printing free-standing structures are not sufficiently developed for large- scale applications. In this paper, the concept of form-specific structural system optimization that broadly follows ‘material-follows-force’ is used to arrive at a shape that reduces weight while minimizing the requirement of conventional …

Sustainability Of Additively Manufactured Cement-Based Housing: What's Our Next Move?, Joseph J. Biernacki

C3 Symposium 2025

Additive manufacturing of housing has rapidly grown into a nascent industry with numerous demonstration projects recently proving the technological viability of the approach. Goals for the technology, however, are not limited to business ventures that compete in the traditional housing market. Rather, some builders and activists advocate for the technology as a potential key to solving the housing crisis in the US and abroad; though, questions regarding the scalability of economy, environmental impacts and socio-political implications still revolve around the concept. This work focuses on the techno-economics of scale for construction of housing as well as suggests what our next …

The Handy Rheometer: Capturing Complex Rheology With Just A Camera And A Cylinder, Yohan Jacquet, Inka Mai

C3 Symposium 2025

The growing need for practical, on-site rheological tools in 3D concrete printing motivates this study, which introduces a low-cost, computer-vision based method for characterizing complex flow behavior. A simple experiment is performed by pulling a cylinder through a fresh cementitious suspension while recording the surface motion of a contrasted reference line on the suspension’s surface simply using a camera. A computer vision algorithm tracks the displacement field, enabling precise velocity profile extraction over time. By applying a moment balance to the two flow regions – Couette and Poiseuille – the flow is modeled as a Herschel-Bulkley fluid. This approach enables …

Recycling Waste Glass Powder In Lightweight Aggregate Concrete: Towards Lightweight, Sustainable And Durable Marine Engineering Structures, Bin Jia, Yuxi Zhao

C3 Symposium 2025

This study investigates the feasibility of incorporating waste glass powder (GP) as a sustainable supplementary cementitious material in structural lightweight aggregate concrete (SLAC) for marine applications. The effects of GP replacement (0–40%) on the fresh, mechanical, and durability properties were evaluated. Results showed that while GP reduces early-age strength, long-term mechanical stability is maintained, with GP20 achieving the highest elastic modulus. GP incorporation significantly improves durability, including reduced chloride migration, lower water absorption, and higher electrical resistivity. Corrosion resistance of steel bars under chloride exposure was enhanced, as indicated by higher open-circuit potential values (OCP). Microstructural analysis revealed that GP …

A Thermodynamic Perspective On Reinforcement Corrosion In Concretes Produced With Low-Clinker Blended Binders, O. Burkan Isgor, W. Jason Weiss

C3 Symposium 2025

Concrete produced with blended binders with low clinker content, while having a reduced carbon footprint, pose additional challenges with respect to reinforcement corrosion. As the portland limestone cement is replacing ordinary portland cement, the utilization of conventional supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) has become the norm, and various types of alternative SCM are emerging, the focus has shifted toward the performance of concretes produced with low-clinker blended binders. While the synergetic reactions among clinker, limestone and SCM could provide significant benefits to concrete by reducing porosity, pore connectivity and transport coefficients, hence improving various mechanical and durability properties, they can also …

The Role Of Graphene-Based Nanomaterials In Enhancing Resiliency And Ductility In Engineered Concrete, Michail Margas, Panagiotis Danoglidis, Maria Konsta-Gdoutos

C3 Symposium 2025

Graphene-based nanomaterials have gained significant attention for enhancing cement matrices due to their exceptional surface area and remarkable mechanical, physical, and chemical properties. These characteristics make them ideal candidates for improving the overall performance of engineered cementitious materials. This study focuses on accelerating the carbonation kinetics within nanostructured interfaces of cement systems by incorporating 2D graphene-based nanomaterials. Exfoliated graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), with a surface area 3-5 times greater than that of cement grains, were used. Experimental results revealed that concrete reinforced with exfoliated, few-layer GNPs demonstrated 1.5 times higher carbonation uptake and mineralization capacity. Additionally, quantitative nanomechanical property mapping highlighted …

Carbon-Negative Concrete By Using Biochar, Matteo Pavese, Luca Lavagna, Carlo Amata, Jean Marc Tulliani, Mattia Bartoli, Mauro Giorcelli, Claudia Guzzoni Iudice, Alessio Mondello, Matthew Mallory, Chris Carstens, Douglas Dufaux

C3 Symposium 2025

In this paper we present the realization of carbon negative concrete by substituting cement and aggregate with biochar. By conveniently choosing feedstock and properties of biochar, it is possible to maintain the same compression strength of standard concrete. Several biochar types derived from different vegetal feedstocks were used, that were characterized for their composition and physical properties. The effect of biochar type and grain size distribution was studied, demonstrating the possibility of maintaining or even slightly improving the mechanical properties of mortar and concrete, depending on the biochar content. The physical properties and pore distribution of mortar containing biochar was …

Rebel Sensor For Real-Time Concrete Strength: Eliminating Calibration And Reducing Carbon Footprint, Rui He, Zhihao Kong, Joe Turek, Na (Luna) Lu

C3 Symposium 2025

Concrete strength is a key factor influencing construction quality, cost, schedule, and durability. However, current testing methods—such as cylinder and beam breaks—are time-consuming, costly, and carbon-intensive, often delaying construction and generating unnecessary waste. Existing maturity methods (e.g., ASTM C1074) also require pre-established, mix-specific curves that take weeks and thousands of dollars to develop.To address these challenges, we developed the REBEL Sensor—an IoT-enabled technology that enables direct, real-time, and wireless monitoring of in-place concrete strength without the need for pre-determined calibration curves. By accurately predicting final strength at 28 or 56 days from the initial mix, our sensor empowers engineers to …

Using Fluid Absorption Modeling To Determine The Intrinsic Permeability Of Cement-Based Materials, Luiz Antonio De Siqueira Neto, O. Burkan Isgor, W. Jason Weiss

C3 Symposium 2025

Neutron radiography (NR) is used during unidirectional fluid absorption experiments to obtain moisture profiles through the height of mortar specimens. The moisture profiles are compared to the results of an established fluid absorption modeling technique, and linear interpolation is used to accurately determine the intrinsic permeability (Kl) of all samples.

Leveraging The Use Of Carbonated Water For Sustainable Low-Carbon Cements, Aswathy Rajendran, Sripriya Rengaraju, Abir Al-Tabbaa

C3 Symposium 2025

The sustainability of the construction industry has been significantly enhanced by the development and use of low-carbon cements. However, achieving net-zero emissions requires more than just reducing embodied carbon of cements; it necessitates the adoption of effective carbon sequestration methods. Although various strategies for incorporating carbon sequestration into construction materials have been explored, the use of carbonated water in low-carbon cement systems remains less-researched. This study investigates the impact of adding carbonated water to two key low-carbon cement types: Slag-based cement (80% cement replacement) and Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3, 50% cement replacement). The findings show that carbonated water improves …

Evaluation On Basic Properties And Surface Quality Of Pca Members Using Scallop Shell Sand Concrete With Blue Carbon Fixation, Nene Uesugi, Masaki Tamura, Tetsuya Sasaki, Takashi Saito, Ryota Ozeki, Taichi Yamamoto, Ayano Koseki

C3 Symposium 2025

With carbon neutrality gaining importance as one of the measures against global warming, the building industry is focusing on the development of environmentally friendly building materials to help realize a sustainable society. Japan has the second longest coastline in the world, and its fisheries industry along the coast is well developed and fisheries resources are considered important. In Hokkaido in particular, approximately 400,000 tons of scallops are landed annually, with approximately 110,000 tons of shells becoming waste. In order to make effective use of these discarded and unused resources, the development of blue carbon concrete components, in which scallop shells …

Carbon Sequestration Technology In Cement-Based Materials: A Review Of Mechanisms And Applications, Yingfang Fan, Lei Wang, Xiangming Zhou

C3 Symposium 2025

Carbon sequestration technology is crucial for achieving the Net Zero climate target. Regarding carbon sequestration via concrete technology, it mainly involves two approaches: reacting natural ores or industrial waste with CO2 to incorporate them into concrete and ensuring stable CO2 storage throughout the concrete lifecycle. The basic mechanism relies on the formation of calcium carbonate through reactions between CO2 and calcium/magnesium components in concrete. This technology spans from raw material carbon capture to the entire production process, enhancing concrete performance by filling pores, improving interfacial bonding, and promoting CO2 mineralization. Factors influencing sequestration efficiency include material composition, particle size, reaction …

Serpentine Activation And Co2 Mineralization: A Pathway To Sustainable Cementitious Materials, Shayan Gholami, Luis Baquerizo Ibarra, Hamed Maraghechi

C3 Symposium 2025

Serpentine, a naturally occurring magnesium-rich mineral, has a significant capacity to bind carbon dioxide (CO₂). This study explores the activation and CO₂ mineralization with serpentine, investigating its potential as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM). The findings of this research could play a crucial role in assisting the cement industry in reducing its carbon footprint while promoting greater sustainability.

In-Situ Stabilization Of Caco3 Polymorphs In Cementitious Systems, Yogiraj Sargam, Vishnu Chaudhari

C3 Symposium 2025

The technology of injecting CO2 in a cementitious system (concrete) during mixing has demonstrated scalability and significant potential. This process involves CO2 dissolving in water, releasing carbonate and bicarbonate ions that react with calcium ions from dissolving clinker and hydrate phases, leading to in-situ CaCO3 precipitation. This study examines CaCO3 formation pathways and explores stabilizing favourable polymorphs using additives. Cement paste samples were analyzed using FTIR and X-ray diffraction. Initial results suggest CaCO3 formation follows Ostwald's process. In early hydration (up to 6 hours), amorphous calcium carbonate and metastable crystalline polymorphs (vaterite and aragonite) form. These metastable forms then crystallize …

Carbonated Industrial Waste By Co2 Mineralization As New Constituent For Cements, Maria Chiara Bignozzi, Alessia Artale, Alessandro Allegri, Stefania Albonetti, Alessandro Dal Pozzo, Valentina Scognamiglio, Alberto Renato De Angelis, Roberto Millini

C3 Symposium 2025

Carbonation of industrial waste by CO2 mineralization is a carbon capture solution that offers a way to reduce CO₂ emissions and improve waste management. In this study, carbonated waste from the ceramic industry is used in cementitious binders, reducing the carbon footprint of cement production. Mortars prepared with these binders have been tested for strength and physical properties. Preliminary results show that all formulations meet EN 197-1:2011 strength requirements, demonstrating that the carbonated product can reduce clinker content in cementitious binders without compromising their performances.

Wet-Carbonation Of Rcas For Improved Carbonation Efficiency And Mechanical Properties Of Carbonated Rcas And Rca Concrete, Xiang Zhao, Qingli Dai, Jiankai Xie

C3 Symposium 2025

The increasing volume of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) poses significant environmental challenges, making its effective management and treatment crucial. Recycled coarse aggregates (RCA), derived from C&DW, often exhibit weak interfacial transition zones (ITZ), high porosity, and micro-cracks due to residual mortar, limiting their structural performance [1] [2]. This study developed a novel wet carbonation process using glycine acid as an inducer to enhance the mechanical and durability properties of RCA and RCA concrete. Glycine acid, with carboxyl and amino functional groups, formed stable complexes with Ca²⁺ ions, increasing calcium solubility and accelerating carbonation[3]. The process promoted the formation of …

Change In Property Of Hardened Cement Specimens Having Different Mineral Composition Cured In High Concentration Co2 From The Very Early Material Age, Kazuto Tabara, Kazuya Yamashita, Hiroyuki Kameda, Shintaro Miyamoto

C3 Symposium 2025

We conducted research of CO2 capture behavior and rate of CO2 diffusion into hardened cement specimens of different pre-curing period before starting accelerating carbonation curing for ordinary portland cement (herein after OPC), OPC mixed with ground granulated blast furnace slag (herein after BB), and OPC mixed with an amorphous calcium aluminate-based accelerator (hereinafter ACC) respectively. We prepared two-type of hardened cement specimens, the first was in the case of powder shape hardened cement paste specimen which is designed to avoid carbon dioxide diffusion’s influence as much as possible and to evaluate fixation capacity of CO2, as a result CO2 content …

Experimental Study Of Mineral Carbonation Of High-Calcium Fly Ash: Co₂ Sequestration And Its Effect On Pozzolanic Reactivity, Farshad Rajabipour, Arslan Akbar, Abdullah Al Moman

C3 Symposium 2025

Mineral carbonation of industrial wastes offers a sustainable approach to carbon sequestration and waste valorization. This study investigates the aqueous mineral carbonation of three high-calcium fly ashes under ambient conditions using recyclable sodium carbonate solutions. The effects of operational parameters, including liquid-to-solid ratio (L/S), sodium carbonate concentration, and carbonation duration, were systematically analyzed using response surface modeling. A degree of carbonation (DOC) up to 52% was achieved within one hour under ambient conditions, with calcite (CaCO3) identified as the dominant product phase. Advanced characterization techniques revealed significant transformations in the physicochemical properties of carbonated fly ashes (CFAs), including increased particle …

Engineering Performance Of Semi-Flowable Concrete With High-Volume Indigenous Scms, Arash Aghaeipour, Jingjie Wei, Kamal H. Khayat, Roberta Alfani, Erisa Myrtja

C3 Symposium 2025

Enhancing clinker efficiency and increasing limestone filler (LF) in binder are essential for engineering applications. This study explores the high-volume substitution of Portland cement, with 50 wt.% LF and up to 30 wt.% traditional SCMs, in semi-flowable concrete (SFC), evaluating properties of SFC. A slump of 200 mm was achieved, with retentions above 130 mm after 70 minutes for SFC mixtures. The 28-day compressive and flexural strengths of SFC exceeded 30 MPa and 3.2 MPa, respectively, meeting structural performance benchmarks (ACI 318, ASTM C94). LF replacement rate in binder exceeding 10% reduces strength of SFC due to LF’s lack of …