US: The Slag Cement Association (SCA) has announced the recipients of its 2019 Slag Cement Project of the Year Awards. A total of 12 construction projects from across North America were chosen to showcase the broad applications of slag cement. Two research projects on slag cement use have also been recognised in the program. The winning project teams include four state Departments of Transportation (DOT), two Canadian procurement authorities, one bridge authority and the Florida Army National Guard.

“The rise in DOT and infrastructure projects we are seeing reflects the increase in demand for materials that enhance concrete’s durability, resiliency, and ultimately the value of concrete,” said SCA board president, Ed Griffith.

The event was originally scheduled to be held at the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Spring Convention in early April 2020 but was postponed due to coronavirus-related state lockdowns.

The winners included:

Project: Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport Aircraft Mooring Apron Replacement
Slag Cement: Argos
Award: Sustainability

Project: Chase Center
Slag Cement: Cemex
Award: Architectural

Project: Court and Walnut Parking Garage
Slag Cement: Skyway Cement
Award: Architectural

Project: Dr Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Slag Cement: Lehigh Hanson
Award: Durability

Project: Dublin Ohio Pedestrian Bridge
Slag Cement: Skyway Cement
Award: Green Design

Project: Estates at Acqualina
Slag Cement: Cemex
Award: Durability

Project: Giant Mine Underground Stabilization
Slag Cement: LafargeHolcim
Award: Innovative Applications

Project: HWY 50 Paving Florida Hernando County
Slag Cement: Argos
Award: Sustainability

Project: I-41 Interchanges and Bridge
Slag Cement: St Marys Cement
Award: High Performance

Project: Peace Bridge
Slag Cement: St Marys Cement
Award: High Performance

Project: Sarah Mildred Long Bridge
Slag Cement: LafargeHolcim
Award: Innovative Applications

Project: Summa Hospital West Towers
Slag Cement: Lehigh Hanson
Award: Green Design

Project: Bio-friendly Slag Cement Benefit to the Drainage Systems
Researcher: Arash Rahmatian, University of Houston

Project: Blast Furnace Slags - Rapid Reactivity Testing and Effects of Varying Replacement Levels on Cement Paste Properties
Researcher: Sivakumar Ramanathan, University of Miami

Australia: Boral Australia has launched Innovo, an asphalt system product that uses steel slag as a raw material amongst other recyclables. Recycled materials that can be used in the mix include steel slag, recycled plastics, tyres, recycled crushed glass, recycled asphalt pavement and printer toner. The product has been used in various projects in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement, JFE Steel and the Global Institute for Environmental Technology are working together to develop a carbon capture and storage system. The system will use wet alkaline earth metals extracted from steel slag to produce carbonates from exhaust gases at cement and steel plants. The partners are investigating the possibility of using these carbonates, specifically calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate, as additives in cement production at Taiheiyo Cement’s plants. Taiheiyo Cement president Masafumi Shigehara said, “With the effects of climate change becoming apparent both in Japan and overseas, the importance of global warming counter-measures is increasing.”

World: Data from the World Steel Association shows that global crude steel production fell by 1.4% year-on-year to 443Mt in the first three months of 2020. Asia produced 316Mt of crude steel in the first quarter of 2020, a year-on-year decrease of 0.3%. The European Union (EU) produced 38.3Mt of crude steel in the first quarter of 2020, down by 10%. North America’s crude steel production fell by 4% to 29.5Mt.