8–11 Jun 2026
SwissTech Convention Center EPFL
Europe/Zurich timezone

Comparison of Durability of Calcium Aluminate and Sulphoaluminate Cements (CAC, CSA and HB-CSA) for Aggressive Environment

11 Jun 2026, 10:40
10m
SwissTech Convention Center EPFL

SwissTech Convention Center EPFL

SwissTech Convention Center, EPFL, Rue Louis Favre 2, Ecublens, Switzerland
Poster Presentation Durability Durability 1

Speaker

Mr Bishwjeet Binwal (School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Sydney)

Description

Concrete made from traditional Portland cement in the sewer system faces severe corrosion. This leads to deterioration of Portland cement, causing a reduction in sewer pipes and an increase in maintenance and repair costs. This research addresses a pertinent issue by evaluating three types of specialty cements: calcium aluminate cement (CAC), calcium sulphoaluminate cement (CSA), and high-belite calcium sulphoaluminate cement (HB-CSA). These materials underwent durability tests under conditions that simulate the environment of sewer systems, utilising laboratory-based methodologies. The findings were unexpectedly significant; in the accelerated corrosion tests conducted in the laboratory, CAC demonstrated superior performance compared to the other types. The results indicate that CAC exhibits enhanced durability in acidic environments, significantly surpassing the performance of Portland cement. CAC offers the densest and most chemically inert matrix, making it particularly suitable for the most challenging conditions. In comparison, HB-CSA provides a moderate level of acid resistance. In addition to this test, sorptivity, compressive strength tests, alkali-silica reactivity (ASR-AMBT), and water absorption were also measured. In CAC and HB-CSA, water absorption was around 5%, whereas for CSA it was slightly higher, around 7%. For sorptivity, all three binder systems were within the range of <6mm/√h. Strength development for this study was recorded at 1 and 28 days for mortar and concrete samples.

Affiliations

School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Sydney,
Darlington NSW 2008 Chemical Engineering J01
bbin0191@uni.sydney.edu.au

Keywords CAC, CSA, HB-CSA, Acid resistance, Alkali-silica reactivity

Author

Mr Bishwjeet Binwal (School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Sydney)

Co-author

Prof. Marjorie Valix (School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Sydney)

Presentation materials