Port of Rotterdam Authority, cement-free geopolymer concrete for quay walls

The Port of Rotterdam Authority manages a large stock of marine structures. It maintains 80 kilometers of quay walls and 200 kilometers of slopes, and some of these quay walls have been earmarked for replacement (Port of Rotterdam Authority, 2023). Each replacement is a chance to choose lower-carbon materials. In 2023, the Port Authority began a trial with geopolymer concrete in the Eemhaven. Geopolymer concrete is a collective name for concrete that does not contain cement. Replacing cement leads to lower CO2 emissions from the concrete.

Approach

Replace the cement binder. The cement in the concrete was replaced by a different binder. The Port Authority developed the concrete mix using 'Innovative Sqape technology - SQAPE' (Port of Rotterdam Authority, 2023).

Test in real marine conditions. Reinforced geopolymer concrete has limited service records in saltwater environments. The trial involved pouring formwork for a quay wall structure and a number of beams with the new concrete (Port of Rotterdam Authority, 2023).

Learn the practical steps. The Port Authority used the trial to gain experience with practical aspects of pouring, finishing and formwork removal for this type of concrete (Port of Rotterdam Authority, 2023). These site steps can differ from normal concrete work, so a small trial lowers the risk before larger use.

Move to a full quay wall and monitor it. The Port Authority planned to use the concrete in a quay wall at the Tweede Petroleumhaven at the end of 2023. It stated that the performance of the concrete in the quay wall will be monitored over the coming years (Port of Rotterdam Authority, 2023).

Results

The geopolymer concrete used in the trial has 50% lower CO2 emissions than traditional concrete for this mix, according to the Port Authority (Port of Rotterdam Authority, 2023). In June 2024, the Port Authority reported that the trial at Tweede Petroleumhaven, two quay wall sections of about 100 meters in total, had been a success, and that it intends to apply geopolymer concrete in more projects (Port of Rotterdam Authority, 2024). The trial is in line with the Port Authority's policy to develop the port sustainably, and its ambition is to use this type of concrete in the future to reduce its CO2 footprint. This owner update indicates progress beyond the 2023 announcement; it does not establish performance over a full design life.