Advanced Concrete Materials for Water and Wastewater Pipeline Repair and Construction

CeraTech, Inc., proposes the development of novel (patent pending) phosphate-based concrete for fresh water and wastewater pipeline. The materials being investigated utilize a very high percentage of residual materials (coal ash, municipal solid waste ash, bio-solids ash, etc., up to 80 wt%). The concrete exhibits zero shrinkage as well as extremely high bondability to both concrete and reinforcement steel. Ceracrete products are the result of a powder-blending operation and require no kiln process for the production of ingredients. The production process generates no greenhouse gases, as no Portland cement is utilized. The materials can have initial set times ranging from 10 to 30 minutes. The proposed effort focuses on the concrete interaction with steel rebar. In particular, there is a high probability that this concrete will offer enhanced protection of rebar in a non-alkaline environment, due to the reaction of the concrete with steel as well as the very low porosity of the concrete materials. Accelerated corrosion testing will be conducted comparing the CeraTech products to conventional concrete used in the construction of current pipeline products. Anticipated results will demonstrate that the CeraTech products offer significant protection of rebar materials and a high degree of inert behavior in a wide range of chemical and temperature environments. Potential commercial applications will focus on this product as a repair product, a primary precast pipe material, or as an overlay on the interior surfaces of existing pipe.