Civil Engineering Departmental Seminar - Durability problems of hydraulic concrete structures and geologic carbon storage reservoirs  

Durability problems of hydraulic concrete structures and geologic carbon storage reservoirs  

The Building Materials Science Group in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering at Aarhus University conducts research in various aspects of cement and concrete materials, especially focusing on durability problems and sustainable material solutions. This presentation comprises two parts: 1) abrasion damage of concrete for hydraulic structures; 2) degradation of cement-based materials exposed to geologic carbon storage conditions. Hydraulic structures are important assets of our society. As the service life requirement for large infrastructures is keeping on increasing, long-term durability has become more and more critical. Abrasion damage of concrete caused by sediment-laden flow can be a significant durability problem for hydraulic structures. The first part of the presentation will give an overview of the work conducted in the group, including a new abrasion test method and abrasion damage prediction models. Geologic carbon storage (GCS), a process to capture and store CO2 in deep geologic formations, is considered an essential technique to meet the demanding “Net-zero emissions” goal. Non-producing oil and gas reservoirs are among the most appealing locations for GCS. However, the success of the strategy relies on the long-term integrity of the reservoirs, which is challenged by the carbonation reactions between the main reservoir sealing material, i.e., cement, and the stored CO2 creating an acid exposure environment in the presence of high temperature and high pressure. The second part of the presentation will introduce related projects conducted in the group, including cement-steel interface degradation in GCS conditions, and a novel reservoir sealing material solution.