ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE | Dec. 3, 2025
Sustainability and Durability Properties of Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3): Insights from Recent Research
Dr. Shaik Shameem Banu
Page no 280-296 |
https://doi.org/10.36348/sjce.2025.v09i11.001
During the production of cement, a significant amount of CO2 emissions is generated. To address this issue, Lime Stone Calcinated Clay (LC3) was introduced in cement as a sustainable alternative, reducing the use of cement by 40-50% by replacing LC3 in the cement. This study investigates the effectiveness of LC3 in the hydration process, microstructural analysis, and sustainability. At the time of hydration, calcium hydroxide was generated, which, when mixed with metakaolin, produced a significant amount of CSH gel, thereby enhancing the mechanical strength and microstructural properties. Sturdy carboaluminates are created when limestone and aluminates interact, increasing chloride and sulfate resistance. Geometrical stability is ensured by controlled ettringite development and calcium Aluminate Ferrite trisubstituted (Aft)- Alumina-Ferric oxide-mono (AFm) transitions, although reinforcement is sustained by carbonation resistance. LC³ attains mechanical and durability properties when compared with conventional cement by decreasing emissions by reducing approximately 50% clinker factor and calcination temperatures from 700-900 °C.
This paper describes a new framework to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) with steel structural design for high-risk infrastructure industries such as oil & gas, petrochemical, and refinery usage. Employing machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), and neural networks (NNs), the framework transforms traditional structural workflows to intelligent, adaptive processes. Trained with large collections of real-world engineering projects, AI models demonstrate significant performance enhancements—reducing design cycle time by 27%, raising structural accuracy, and enhancing resistance to dynamic strain from operational forces. The outcome heralds a new paradigm for industrial engineering, profiling by example how predictive modeling can be employed to design more safely, more efficiently, and code-compliant structures.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE | Dec. 23, 2025
Utilization of Crushed and Powdered Waste Glass in Cementitious Composites: From Microstructure to Service Life
Dr. Shameem Banu Shaik
Page no 302-312 |
https://doi.org/10.36348/sjce.2025.v09i11.003
The increasing demand for concrete, coupled with the environmental burden associated with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) production and natural aggregate depletion, has intensified the search for sustainable alternative materials. Waste glass, generated in large quantities worldwide and often landfilled due to recycling constraints, has emerged as a promising resource for cementitious composites when processed as powdered waste glass (PWG) or crushed waste glass. This review critically examines the utilization of waste glass as a sustainable binder and aggregate replacement, with particular emphasis on microstructural evolution, durability performance, and service-life implications. The pozzolanic reactivity of finely ground waste glass, driven by its high amorphous silica content, leads to secondary calcium silicate hydrate formation, portlandite consumption, and pore refinement. These microstructural modifications result in improved later-age mechanical strength, reduced permeability, enhanced resistance to chloride ingress and chemical attack, and effective mitigation of alkali–silica reaction when appropriate fineness and replacement levels are adopted. The review synthesizes quantitative data from recent studies to establish performance trends, identify optimal replacement ranges, and clarify durability mechanisms governing long-term behavior. Remaining challenges, including variability in glass composition, standardization of test methods, and limited long-term field data, are highlighted. Overall, the findings demonstrate that waste glass, when properly processed and proportioned, can contribute significantly to durable, low-carbon cementitious composites and support circular-economy-based infrastructure development.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE | Dec. 30, 2025
Field Installation and Performance Assessment of Prestressed High-Strength Concrete (PHC) Piles for the Steel Plate Manufacturing Project in Ras Al Khair
Maitham M Alsafwani
Page no 313-323 |
https://doi.org/10.36348/sjce.2025.v09i11.004
This paper presents a case study of a pilot project on using novated Pre-Stressed High-Strength Concrete (PHC) Piles technology for a potential support to the large foundations of Steel Plate Manufacturing Plant, which to be installed on an area that contains sabkha soils saline, loose, and water-saturated sands in Ras Al Khair Industrial City, Saudi Arabia. The key highlight of this project is the successful installation and testing of Prestressed High-strength Concrete (PHC) piles likely the first such application within Saudi Aramco, and possibly within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This paper presents the load-settlement and the load-displacement diagrams for the tested PHC piles and identifies the bearing capacity of some of these piles at the job site. The study summaries the bearing capacities of the tested PHC piles to be considered for the detailed design of future project packages. PHC Pile foundation reduces the settlement of structures and improves bearing capacity of foundation; and the new pile technologies are of little noise and reduce damage to pile during the installation. The PHC piles, characterized by a hollow core and prestressed concrete design, are typically produced with outer diameters ranging from 300 mm to 1200 mm and engineered to endure high axial loads and bending moments, making them suitable for challenging ground conditions such as sabkha.