Sustainable shotcrete with high performance

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Horst-Michael Ludwig
• Subject Area: Construction Material Sciences, Chemistry, Building Physics
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 574130782

Against the backdrop of worsening climate change, sprayed concrete construction is also confronted with the challenge of comprehensive decarbonisation. However, the required rapid microstructure development in the first seconds to hours after sprayed concrete application still prevents the use of highly clinker-reduced cements and concretes. Accordingly, in sprayed concrete practice, clinker replacement rates of up to 35 wt.% are achieved, if at all. Therefore, the aim of this research project is to create the basis for high clinker replacement rates (>50 %) also in sprayed concrete cement by fundamental investigations of the system Portland cement - composite - accelerator. First, the effects of clinker substitution on the interactions in the combined binder - accelerator system are fundamentally investigated. Based on this, suitable measures are derived and tested in order to produce a sustainable, clinker-reduced sprayed concrete.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants