Two-Track Approach to CO2 Reduction for Precast Eco-Concrete Components in Railway Construction

Non-corrosive carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) reinforcements enable significant reduction in the concrete cover dimensions of concrete components. The high tensile strength of CFRP furthermore allows thinner structures. This results in savings of primary resources, thus leading to more CO2-efficient structures. Therewithal, the use of eco-concretes can further enhance this saving effect: Due to their cement-reduced mixture compositions, they exhibit a more favorable CO2 balance compared to standard concretes. Therefore, construction elements made of a novel CFRP-reinforced eco-concrete (CFRP-EC) combination introduce an innovative two-track approach for diminishing CO2 emissions. On this basis, the research project “Congreen.Carbon.System” is developing precast frame components made of CFRP-EC for railway construction. In this paper, an eco-concrete and CFRP reinforcement to be used for this purpose are presented. Results on the eco-concrete’s strength development as well as on CFRP rebar pull-out tests are presented. Thus, an initial analysis of the bond behavior of eco-concrete with CFRP rebars is performed.