DM, Building Department

Qualification & Building Studies sec.

Building Researches and Studies unit

Fadel S. AbuShaban
Specialist in Building Studies
29 March 2015

1) Introduction:
The world went recently to the
architectural thought which focuses on
the relationship between buildings and
the environment within the framework of
the so-called green architecture or
urban environment-friendly cities
without a contaminated items so that it
appears in reducing the negative impact
of buildings on the environment.
Green or sustainable architecture is that should meet the needs of the
present without losing the right of future generations in their needs for a
clean environment that is free of contaminants which affect the natural
growth of the human being.

 His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin

Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President,
Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai issued
the Council of Ministers Decision No. 24 of
2011 concerning the regulation of the

activities of establishments in the area of the

cement industry.
According to this decision, all cement factories must obtain an
Environmental Permit before direct its activities, and the
amount of smoke, gases and vapors must be within the
allowed limits.
Reference: Al Bayan newspaper dated (20/08/2011)

 His Excellency Engineer Hussain Nasser

Lootah, Director General of Dubai
Municipality gave his instructions to apply
the requirements of green buildings. It was
optional for three years and then became
mandatory since 01/03/2014.

Engineer Abdulla Rafee, assistant of director general

of Dubai Municipality, is very interested to implement
the latest innovations from the construction sectors
across the world, In order to upgrade the quality of

buildings in Dubai according to DM strategic plans to

transfer Dubai into a green city.

 Engineer Khalid Mohammed Saleh, Head of

Building Department had a considerable interest
in the development of specifications and technical
requirements for green buildings.
He have his instructions to train all people who
are involved in the construction sector before
applying the new regulations

With reference to the above, and since most of Dubai buildings are made
of RCC structures which most important components is the Portland cement,
and since it is not Eco-friendly material, so I found that it is essential to

conduct a study to get answers to the following questions:

1) What are the disadvantages of Portland cement?

2) What are the Eco-friendly Cementitious materials?
3) What are the advantages of those Eco-friendly Cementitious
materials?

4) What are the global best practices in the use of substitutes for
cement?
5) What are the opinions of local expert people?
6) Are the Eco-Friendly materials available globally and locally?

7) Are the prices of Eco-Friendly materials equivalent to those of

Portland cement?

2) Disadvantages of Production and Use of

Portland Cement
The production of 1.0 ton of Portland cement is
accompanied by the emission of 1.1 tons of carbon dioxide
(Co2) , vapors, dust and other harmful gases leading to:
1) Increase in global warming.
2) Increasing environmental damage.
3) Increase the respiratory diseases such as asthma and
pulmonary ossification, lung cancer.
4) kidney failure and other serious diseases to humans.
The cement factories
alone are responsible for
producing 50% of the
total emission of CO2
for all the factories.

REFERENCE:
Cement and Concrete:
Environmental
Considerations, USA

3) The most important Green Cementitious Materials:

The most important of

those materials:
1. Ground Granulated
Blast Slag (GGBS)

2. Fly Ash (FA)

3. Silica Fume (SF)
4. Fiber Glass (FGL)

3) The most important Green Cementitious Materials, cont. :

Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag
(GGBS), also called Slag Cement, is a byproduct of steel industry.
It is commonly used as a partial substitute
for Portland cement at a replacement level of
up to 80%.

Fly ash is a by-product of the burning of

coal in electric power generating plants.
It is commonly used as a partial substitute
for 25 to 55% of the Portland cement in
concrete.

3) The most important Green Cementitious Materials, cont. :

Silica fume is a by-product from the electric
furnace used in the production of silicon
alloy.
Silica fume is commonly used as a partial
substitute for Portland cement in concrete at
replacement levels of 5 to 10%.
Fiber Glass is a material made up of very
fine fibers of glass.
The amount of fibers added to a concrete mix
is expressed as a percentage of the total
volume of the composite (concrete and
fibers), typically ranges from 0.1 to 3%.

4) The advantages of green cementitious materials

There are several characteristics that distinguish green cementitious
materials for Portland cement, the most important are:

1)

Increase the life of concrete elements / structures .

2) Reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions by 80%.

3) Increase the concrete compressive strength for minimum 20%

after 90 days of casting date.

4) Better resistance to salts, thus produce sustainable concrete.
5) Improve concrete workability.

4) The advantages of green cementitious materials - continue

6) Reduce the rate of cracking of concrete.
7) Reduce moisture and water permeability in the concrete and thus
reduce the probability of steel rusting.
8) Improve the degree of thermal insulation for concrete.

9) Improve degree of fire resistance of concrete.

10) Prices of GGBS and Fly Ash (most commonly used) are the same
as Portland cement if not less, as well as available in the local
market.

 Total buildings area that got building

permits during 2014 = 120,333,887

We assume that the average rent in
Dubai = 80 DHS/FT2
The annual income for the permitted
buildings during 2014 = 80 *
120,333,887
= 9,626,711,000
We assume that min. increment in

2014/2015

Dubai buildings value after using

GGBS and FA = 20* 9,626,711,000
= 192,534,220,000 !!!

8,554,849

592

8,554,849

592

19,460,915

1,253

661

29,231,726

1,844

10,906,06
6
9,770,811

591

38,014,334

2,413

8,782,608

569

41,742,433

2,699

3,728,099

286

48,637,302

3,270

6,894,869

571

62,934,520

4,114

844

73,657,985

5,557

14,297,21
7
10,723,46
5

91,841,054

6,021

102,466,356

6,845

110,091,621

7,353

120,333,887

8,147

buildings life = 20 years.

The estimated annual increment in

1,443

18,183,06
9
10,625,30
2
7,625,265

464

10,242,26
6

794

824

508 2015

2015

5) Global practices in the use of substitutes for cement

We have found that many of the bodies, associations, scientists, scientific
and research centers, universities and institutes have recommended
substituting Portland cement with eco-friendly materials. Replacement is
often up to 80% that has been approved theoretically and practically,
depends in the use and specification.

5.1) United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA )

5.2 Concrete Institute of Australia (CI)
5.3) The American Ceramic Society
5.4) The Concrete Pavement Technology Program (CPTP)
5.5) Concrete and the Green Guide, UK

5.6) Australian specifications, given by School of Civil &

Environmental Engineering, Australia
5.7) BRITISH STANDARD - BS 6699
Specification for GGBS use with Portland Cement
The following information / paragraphs were copied from BS 6699:
Ground Granulated Glast Slag (GGBS) has been used in
composite cements and as a cementitious component of concrete
for many years. This standard specifies GGBS for use in
combination with Portland cement in concrete, mortar and

grout.

5.8) BRITISH STANDARD - BS 8500-1:2006

The following table was copied from BS 8500-1:2006 :

5.9) Concrete Society, UK:

5.9) Concrete Society, UK cont.

5.9) Concrete Society, UK cont.

5.10) LEED
NC GUIDE:

5.11) Estidama (Abu Dhabi) Rating System

Report a Bug on this
Page :PBRS_template@upc.gov.ae

Pearl Rating System for Estidama

Concrete GHG Calculator
Mix Information

Mixes

Type

Volume, m3

Proportion of Total used, %

28 Day Strength, N/mm2

Cement Content, kg/m3

Slag Content, kg/m3

Mix 1

Cast in Place

100%

40

140

260

Mix 2

Cast in Place

0%

Mix 3

Cast in Place

0%

Mix 4

Cast in Place

0%

Mix 5

Cast in Place

0%

Mix 6

Cast in Place

0%

Mix 7

0%

Mix 8

0%

Mix 9

0%

Mix 10

0%

Total

100%

Fly Ash Content, kg/m3

Embodied GHG, CO2e/m3

0
Project Weighted Average Embodied Energy

Embodied GHG Limits, kgCO2e/m3

Weighted Average, kgCO2e/m3

Type

28 Day Strength, N/mm2

Proportion of Total used, %

1 Credit

2 Credits

1 Credit

2 Credits

Mix 1

Cast in Place

40

100%

240

179

240

179

Mix 2

Cast in Place

Mix 3

Cast in Place

Mix 4

Cast in Place

Mix 5

Cast in Place

Mix 6

Cast in Place

Mix 7

Mix 8

Mix 9

Mix 10

240

179

100%

Notes:
1) 28 Day strength is input in 5 N/mm2 intervals from 25 N/mm2 to 60 N/mm2. For any strengths within these intervals please round to the nearest 5 N/mm2
2) For concrete strengths above 60 MPa or below 25 MPa please consult the EGBC
3) Embodied GHG Limits are derived based on Reference Table limits for a concrete of specific 28 day strength, Credit Targets are used to determine credit limits
and weight averaged embodied GHG for the purpose of determining points attained.

Limestone Content, kg/m3

156

Mixes

Total

Silica Fume Content, kg/m3 Natural Pozzolan Content, kg/m3

Credit Targets:

Total Points Attained

156

6) Are the Eco-Friendly materials available in the markets?

Reference:

GGBS producers in UAE:

Dubai

: There are 3 producers:

Abu Dhabi

: There are 2 producers

Reference:

N. Emirates : There is 1 producer

Sharjah

: There is 1 producer

Note:
Dubai factories can produce 5 million tons of GGBS annually,
but estimated required amount for 2014 about 4.6 million tons.

7) Are the prices of Eco-Friendly materials equivalent to those of

Portland cement?

8) Sharing all the stakeholders of construction field in the decision

making of using eco-friendly cementitious materials in concrete:
1) On 23 July 2014 , we held a meeting in DM with all cement factories

(14) in UAE, 100% have supported the use of alternative materials as a

partial substitute to Portland cement.

2) On 29 September 2014 , we held a seminar and workshop in DM to

explain our study results to consultants, contractors and Ready mix

concrete factories . During the discussion session most of the attendees
supported the use of eco-friendly cementitious materials.

8) Sharing all the stakeholders of construction field in the decision making

of using eco-friendly cementitious materials in concrete cont. :
We sent Questionnaire to cement factories, ready mix concrete factories, consultant
offices and contracting companies , results was as follows:
1) 94.75% of them have supported the use of alternative materials as a partial
substitute to Portland cement, 5.25% answered: I do not know.
2) 100% of them have supported the use of alternative materials in the event that their
prices are equal to or lower than those of Portland cement.
3) 88.5% of them have confirmed that the properties of alternative materials for cement
are better than those of Portland cement, while 11.5% answered: I do not know.
4) 78.95% of them replied that the alternative materials for cement (one or more) can
be easily available in Dubai, while 21.05% answered: I do not know.
7) Most of them have arranged the four materials sequentially by preference used as a
substitute for cement as follows:

1) GGBS

2) Fly Ash

3) Silica Fume

4) Fiberglass

8) Sharing all the stakeholders of construction field in the decision making of

using eco-friendly cementitious materials in concrete cont. :
Seminar and workshop was held on 29th September 2014

8) Sharing all the stakeholders of construction field in the decision making of

using eco-friendly cementitious materials in concrete cont. :
Part of the workshop that held on 29th September 2014, to show people how are the various
eco-friendly cementitious materials look.

8) Sharing all the stakeholders of construction field in the decision making of

using eco-friendly cementitious materials in concrete cont. :

We also spoke about "Using Eco-Friendly Cementitious Materials for

Sustainable

Concrete

in

the

Quality

Assurance

for

Sustainable

Construction Materials Conference which was held from the 10th-11th of

December 2014 at the Address Hotel, Downtown Dubai




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BE GREEN
MAGAZENE

Eco-friendly concrete mandatory in Dubai

Dubai Municipality has issued a circular to all
stakeholders of the construction sector to use
eco-friendly and sustainable concrete materials in
building construction, which will reduce carbon
emission and create a more environment-friendly
urban environment.
Dubai Municipality has recently issued a circular to all consultancy offices,
contracting companies, concrete factories and suppliers in the Emirate of Dubai
on the use of eco-friendly and sustainable concrete materials.
Khalid Mohammed Saleh, Director of the Buildings Department at Dubai
Municipality, said the move comes as part of Dubai Municipalitys efforts to
improve the quality of buildings and continuous development in line with the
strategic objectives of the Government of Dubai and its transformation into a
green city, and on the basis of its policy in the application of latest technologies
in the construction sector.

9) Some projects that have been executed using cement alternatives:

P- 1) Spencer Dock, Ireland, 2006

It is one of Europe's largest inner-city
redevelopment projects. It comprises
some 6 million sq ft of retail,
commercial and residential space.
Concrete for the basement slabs and
walls and foundation piles comprised
a mixture of 50% GGBS and 50% OPC.
GGBS was specified on this project for
its enhanced durability to provide
resistance to the aggressive
chemicals encountered in the sub
soils on the site.

P-2) Hanover residential

Apartments, Dublin, 2003
Concrete made with GGBS cement
has enhanced resistance to sulphate
and chloride attack, and has lower
permeability and higher ultimate
strength than concrete made with
ordinary Portland cement, and was
the obvious choice for the difficult
ground conditions at this site.
GGBS cement was used at 70%
replacement levels in all the
subsurface concrete on this project:
in the foundation piles, the
basement slab and basement walls.

P.8- Pre-Cast Decorative

Panels, Location:
Melton
Date: 2012
Environmentally focused
building and structures
made from
25/32/40MPa grade
E-CreteTM with high
quality appearance and
accurate specification
required.

P. 12) Structural Beams

Client: Private Client
Scope: 50MPa Structural
Beams
Location: St Lucia,
Queensland
Date: 2012
Comment:
33 Structural Beams
(10.8m by 2.4m by 9.6m)
Suspended Floor in 5
storey building at
University of Queensland

P.13) Permeable
Block
Client: Private US
Based Manufacturer
Scope: Permeable
Paver Block Production
Trials
Location: Besser,
Michigan, USA
Date: 2009
Comment:
E-CreteTM cement
binder with high fly ash
content was used for a
new permeable block
technology.

P. 11) Dry Cast Spun Pipe

Full Scale Production
Client: Private client
Scope: High Strength Dry
Cast Spun Pipe Trials
Location: Victoria and
Queensland
Date: 2012

10) DM Circulation (202) regarding using eco-friendly

cementitious materials in concrete:
Therefore, and in the framework of Dubai Municipality's continuous
efforts to improve the quality of buildings in line with the strategic
objectives of Dubai government and its efforts to shift to a green
city, Dubai Municipality issued a circulation on 12/11/2014
announcing all consultants, contractors, suppliers and ready mixed

concrete factories to use Fly Ash and GGBS as substitutes for

Portland cement according to the following table that shows the

proper percentages of those materials:

 According to the British code number (BS 8500-1: 2006), it

recommends to substitute Portland cement by Ground Granulated
Blast Slag (GGBS)) and Fly Ash materials with rates ranging
between 36% and 80%. This is based on the following factors:
1) Environment and climate of Dubai.
2) The structural elements being exposed to the air or under the surface
of the soil.

3) The class of concrete that is related to its Compressive Strength.

4) Weight ratio of water to cement in the concrete mixture (W/C
Ratio).
5) Concrete cover thickness for the rebar .

11) References :
Geopolymer Concrete by CPTP
A life-cycle assessment of Portland cement manufacturing: comparing
the traditional process with alternative technologies
Deborah N. Huntzinger a,*, Thomas D. Eatmon
a Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan, 1351 Beal Avenue
Green concrete and its demand on the cement industry
Mette Glavind
Danish Technological Institute

Novacem: Carbon Negative Cement and the Green Cement Bond

CSI Forum 2010 Warsaw 14 September 2010
Stuart M Evans Chairman
Alternative Binders for Concrete Other Than Cement
Jaime SK Yeung
Hong Kong Concrete Institute
ALTERNATIVES TO TYPE II CEMENT
part I--- Preliminary Laboratory Studies
H. Celik Ozyildirim, Research Engineer, USA
ALTERNATIVE CEMENTS FOR DURABLE CONCRETE IN
OFFSHORE ENVIRONMENTS
Philip S. Zacarias, ShawCor Ltd.

Construction Forecasts, News & Analysis

Green Alternatives for Concrete
07/21/2011 by RCD Staff, UK
Building Green with White Concrete
Lehigh White Cement Technical Brief
Cement and Concrete: Environmental Considerations
From EBN Volume 2, No. 2 -- March/April 1993
Low Carbon Cements: Recent research and developments on alternatives to Portland Cement Programme

Alternative energy sources in cement manufacturing

A Systematic Review of the Body of Knowledge
California Stormwater BMP Handbook 1 of 3
New Development and Redevelopment
www.cabmphandbook.com
Alternative Building Materials SD-21
Building a better future,
2010 sustainable building development report
Virginia Highway and Transportation Research Council

Pozzolans not only strengthen and seal the concrete, they have many other beneficial features you will
realize the moment you add them to the mix
Carbon concrete: Eco friendly alternative to cement, May 17 2006
Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on ( NOCMAT 2009Nonconventional Materials and Technologies (NOCMAT), September 2009, Bath, UK
STABILISED : STABILISED INTERLOCKING RAMMED EARTH BLOCKS:
ALTERNATIVES TO CEMENT STABILISATION
Gordon Browne

Construction Forecasts, News & Analysis

Green Alternatives for Concrete
2011/7/21 RCD07/21/2011 by RCD Staff

 "Our vision is developed

with time, and the
development rules are
changed to adapt with the

new scientific and

international reality, and
through our long experience
we have learned that there is
no one permanent model in

the development, but

continuous innovation, and

non stopped development."

DM, Building Department

Qualification & Building Studies sec.
Building Researches and Studies unit
Fadel S. AbuShaban
Specialist in Building Studies

0504280085
fsshaaban@dm.gov.ae