For many, the first step in a long career in construction is education. Understanding this, the Slag Cement Association (SCA) has recognized an opportunity to enhance the education of tomorrow's construction workforce.
With the objective of reducing the impact of climate change, and limiting global warming, the world's construction industry has set to work towards the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. As slag cement is an important material on the construction industry’s journey to carbon neutral concrete, further education in this area can be a paramount step in the decades to come.
Slag cement, a.k.a. blast slag or ground-granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS), is a by-product of the manufacturing of iron in a blast furnace. According to the SCA, when used in concrete slag cement can improve the building material by increasing concrete's workability, an easier finishabilty, results in higher compressive and flexural strength, lower permeability and more.
The leading source of education and technology development for slag cement and slag blended cements - not to mention promotor of its use, the SCA has launched a new educational resource for the concrete construction community. An effort to start a solid foundation, if you will, into the education of tomorrow's engineering and construction management college graduates.
The Slag Cement University was designed for university professors and students as a resource and central repository of educational resources on the use of slag cement in concrete construction. Curated and developed by the experts within the SCA membership and staff, the content was intentionally designed to ease the incorporation of content into existing degrees within civil, construction or materials engineering and construction management.
According to the August 2022 announcement, the SCA states that its university platform is not a certification program.
As with all concrete mixtures, trial batches should be performed to verify concrete properties. Results may vary due to a variety of circumstances, including temperature and mixture components, among other things. You should consult your slag cement professional for assistance. Nothing contained herein shall be considered or construed as a warranty or guarantee, either expressed or implied, including any warranty of fitness for a particular purpose.
According to Lori Tiefenthaler, President of the SCA Board of Directors, this offering will serve to enhance concrete materials instruction with new and exciting slag cement information, projects and tools for use in university courses.
Content Includes:
- Technical Information Sheets provide an overview of various applications and topics regarding slag cement use in concrete. These 1–2-page documents are valuable resources for students to review in preparation for exam questions. The references mentioned in these documents can provide further information on these topics.
- Webinars and slide decks provide a well-rounded look at the various applications and things to look for when using slag cement in concrete. Curriculum also includes a Slag Cement 101 slide deck and recorded webinar that will help introduce students to the benefits of this materials use in concrete construction.
- Sustainability Tools: SCA has developed an industry-wide environmental product declaration (EPD) and a companion carbon reduction calculator for concrete mixtures that incorporate slag cement.
In addition to the curriculum, there is an 80-question exam that provides a testing method for universities to easily measure knowledge related to slag cement.
