A Review on Durability Performance of Calcined Clay Binders for Adoption in the Construction Industry

Calcined clays are considered one of the most promising sources of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) for substituting Portland clinker in the production of concrete. Natural clays have been extensively studied for optimizing pre-conditioning treatments to increase their reactivity, and consequently the hydration, and mechanical properties of low energy binders produced with them. Studies on durability performance are essential for providing the confidence required for the widespread adoption of calcined clays as SCMs. This paper analyse the suitability of calcined clay containing binders in different exposure environments to facilitate its adoption, and presents a brief overview of durability performance of cementitious materials produced with kaolinitic or non-kaolinitic calcined clays. Also, the research needs that will facilitate the adoption of calcined clays in construction projects, as well as the physico-chemical alterations introduced by calcined clays in the hydrated cement matrix is discussed.