USDOT Awards Rutgers CAIT $5M to Study Sustainable Cement Alternatives
Researchers will investigate the use of steel slag and its potential to help decarbonize the nation’s transportation sector
Rutgers researchers are working to create innovative alternatives to traditional construction materials that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions while remaining strong enough to withstand harsh environmental conditions.
The Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) has received a five-year, $5 million cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to investigate the use of steel slag in cement and concrete.
“This research has the potential to develop construction materials of the future that are more sustainably produced, durable, and resilient to the impacts of climate change,” said CAIT Director Ali Maher. “We are proud to work with the USDOT and our partners across the transportation industry on this critical initiative.”
Joined by a team of academic and industry partners, Rutgers will investigate innovative materials to support net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goals while also strengthening infrastructure resilience and minimizing adverse environmental impacts from the transportation industry.
The backbone of roads and bridges across the world, cement and concrete are important construction materials, but they also contribute significantly to global carbon dioxide emissions.
Eight percent of annual global carbon dioxide emissions are related to cement production, with a significant portion coming from building and maintaining transportation infrastructure. As recent transportation investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law call for approximately 28 million metric tons of cement, extensive research into sustainable building materials is needed.
Steel slag has been identified by USDOT as a cement alternative with significant carbon reduction potential.
“A byproduct of iron and steel production, slag naturally has a chemical composition that can be used to reduce or replace traditional cement,” said Robert Miskewitz, research professor at Rutgers and principal investigator. “Approximately 16 million tons of slag was produced domestically in 2023, representing a significant opportunity for this material to be reused in innovative and sustainable ways.”
Rutgers CAIT is joined by a highly experienced team of scientists and engineers with extensive backgrounds in cement, ranging from manufacturing and producing cement to evaluating its performance and environmental impacts in the field.
The academic partners include Oregon State University, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and the University of Florida. Domestic steel manufacturers Nucor and TMS International have been engaged as industry partners, as well as Holcim, Levy, and the Slag Cement Association.
“Over the next five years, this team will work collaboratively with the USDOT to test and validate the use of steel slag in the field,” Miskewitz said. “Together we can advance the adoption of innovative and sustainable building materials throughout the transportation industry.”
