Cement chemistry, durability of concrete structures, concrete technology
47
Scopus Publications
3921
Scholar Citations
23
Scholar h-index
32
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
Impact of the mineralogy of low–purity clays on their suitability as supplementary cementitious materials Ilda Tole, Yuvaraj Dhandapani, Simon J. Kemp, Alastair T.M. Marsh, Clive Mitchell, Leon Black, Hong Wong, Susan A. Bernal Cement and Concrete Research, 2026 The lack of rapid screening and selection criteria limits the use of low–purity and common clays as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). Here the potential suitability as SCMs of 73 clays from 27 different geological formations, was investigated. Neither chemical composition nor kaolinite content were appropriate criteria to infer the calcined clays pozzolanic reactivity, which is the recommendation in existing guidelines. Clays exhibiting a total clay mineral content of ≥40 wt%, and a mica content below 60 wt% in the clay mineral fraction present moderate to high pozzolanic reactivity when calcined at 800 °C. Low–purity clays derived from kaolinitic Carboniferous formations, such as the Etruria and Pennine Coal Measures, consistently exhibited higher pozzolanic reactivity, compared with younger or marine–derived clays, particularly those from Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Quaternary aged-units. This new knowledge provides a novel guideline for the exploration and sourcing of promising clays for SCMs production globally.
A reactive-transport framework to model carbonation performance of a hardened cement: the case of alkali-sulfate slag cement pastes Zengliang Yue, Yuvaraj Dhandapani, John L. Provis, Susan A. Bernal Cement and Concrete Research, 2025 This study introduces a novel reactive transport framework tailored for hardened cementitious materials, applied to a clinker-free sodium sulfate-activated slag cement as a case study. The modelling tool enables the prediction of CO 2 -induced alterations in the phase assemblage, transport properties (e.g. diffusivity, permeability, saturation, liquid volume fraction, and capillary pressure) in cementitious materials, pore solution pH, the composition of aluminium-substituted calcium silicate hydrate gel (C-A-S-H), and CO 2 sequestration profiles as a function of cover depth. The framework was applied to simulate one year of accelerated carbonation (1 % CO 2 v /v) and ten years of natural carbonation (0.04 % CO 2 v/v) under controlled temperature and humidity conditions, showing excellent alignment with experimental data. This framework represents a significant step forward in the state-of-the-art for predicting carbonation performance of cementitious materials, enabling calculation and estimation of CO 2 uptake capacity of cement systems, including those containing supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) or based on alkali-activated binders.
Carbonation induced changes in the mechanical performance, water and chloride permeability of Portland cement-slag-limestone ternary cement concretes Moro Sabtiwu, Yuvaraj Dhandapani, Michal Drewniok, Samuel Adu-Amankwah, Susan A. Bernal Cement and Concrete Composites, 2025 Carbonation and chloride-induced deterioration of reinforced concrete can cause infrastructure damage and potential collapse. This study evaluated the impact of carbonation on compressive strength, dimensional stability, water and chloride permeability of concretes made with ternary slag cement containing 10 or 20 wt.% limestone, compared to ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) blended cement or CEM I. The carbonation rates of binary and ternary concretes were higher than those of CEM I concrete. The existing equation correlating natural and accelerated carbonation coefficients holds for the concretes evaluated and the selected carbonation exposure condition studied. The carbonation depths estimated adopting this correlation are within the limits of the cover depths recommended by the BS 8500–1:2023 for concretes for a 50 years’ service life, when exposed to exposure classes XC3/XC4. Despite the higher carbonation rates, water and chloride permeability of the carbonated ternary and binary slag cement concretes were significantly lower than those of a CEM I equivalent. No clear correlation was identified between compressive strength, porosity, bulk conductivity, water sorption coefficient and carbonation rate. Each of these properties alone did not give a good indication of the overall durability performance of binary or ternary concretes. The results demonstrate that 10 % limestone addition has no adverse effect on carbonation resistance of composite cement concrete. Therefore, it is demonstrated that partial replacement of GGBFS by limestone is a practical and technically sound solution for producing concrete with a reduced clinker content and comparable durability to CEM I or binary GGBFS concretes. • Negligible difference in carbonation rate in slag blended concrete with limestone addition. • The chloride permeability is lower in carbonated composite concrete. • Negligible dimensional changes identified in composite concrete upon carbonation. • Reduced compressive strength in carbonated concrete, but above design values. • CEM VI(S-L)/CEM VI(S-LL) are suitable for XC3/XC4 carbonation exposure classes.
The meta-kaolinite content of the calcined clay source impacts the mechanical and durability performance of blended Portland concrete Yuvaraj Dhandapani, Kirthika Kala Subramanian, Fragkoulis Kanavaris, Leon Black, Susan A. Bernal Cement and Concrete Research, 2025 This study evaluated the mechanical and durability performance of CEM I and CEM I plus limestone blended concrete produced with calcined clays (CC) with a varying meta-kaolinite content (70, 50 or 20 wt%). Results revealed that concrete with >45 MPa can be produced with a CC with only 20 wt% meta-kaolinite. Increased compressive and flexural strengths were obtained using higher meta-kaolinite content CC. Limestone addition did not significantly change the concretes' transport or durability properties when compared to binary mixes, despite the reduced clinker factor. CC-containing concretes exhibited excellent chloride resistance, but reduced carbonation performance compared with CEM I. Using a CC with higher meta-kaolinite content enhanced the concrete's carbonation resistance, when evaluated for 650 days of natural exposure. This suggests that generalising the impact of CC addition on concrete performance can be misleading, as bespoke concrete, compliant with specific exposure class requirements, can be produced by appropriate clay selection.
Influence of limestone addition on the engineering and durability performance of Portland-blast furnace slag blended concretes Moro Sabtiwu, Yuvaraj Dhandapani, Michal P. Drewniok, Samuel Adu-Amankwah, Susan A. Bernal Construction and Building Materials, 2025 The widespread use of ternary cement produced from Portland cement (CEM I), granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and limestone powder in structural concrete can be anticipated given the recent standardisation of such ternary cements in EN 197–5. However, understanding of these cements is limited to paste or mortar-scale studies, and comprehensive studies on concretes produced from such cements are needed urgently. In this study, fresh and hardened properties including strength , elastic modulus , water absorption and chloride permeability of ternary cement concrete comprising 50 wt% CEM I blended with GGBFS and 10 or 20 wt% limestone are investigated, as a function of the curing duration. Reducing the GGBFS content, by replacing it with 10–20 wt% limestone powder, leads to satisfactory mechanical and durability properties relative to binary and CEM I concrete. It was established that the ternary concretes evaluated exhibit a progressive increase in compressive strength , reaching values comparable to those of the reference CEM I concrete by 365 days of curing. The flexural strength , static and dynamic elastic moduli of the GGBFS-containing concretes, with or without limestone, are comparable to CEM I concrete, at the investigated curing ages. The chloride permeability and water sorption studies demonstrated that concrete made of composite cements containing up to 20 wt% limestone has no detrimental implications on the resistance to chlorides and water ingress. This study also demonstrates that the mechanical properties of concretes with high replacement of blast furnace slag in Portland blended cements , with or without limestone, are compliant with ACI, fib and Eurocode 2 for structural concrete applications.
Structural alterations in alkali-sulfate-activated slag cement pastes induced by natural and accelerated carbonation Zengliang Yue, Yuvaraj Dhandapani, Susan A. Bernal Cement and Concrete Research, 2025 The impact of carbonation, induced at different CO 2 concentrations (0.04 or 1 %), in the phase assemblages and compressive strength of Na 2 SO 4 -activated slag materials was determined. Carbonation led to Ca-bearing phases' decalcification (mainly C-(A)-S-H type gel and ettringite) forming different CaCO 3 polymorphs, independent of the slag composition or carbonation conditions adopted. In specimens exposed to 0.04 % CO 2 , a negligible carbonation front was observed, along with a continued phase assemblage evolution and compressive strength gain after 500 days of exposure. Conversely, exposure to 1 % CO 2 led to complete carbonation after 28 days, and a significant compressive strength reduction. Accelerated carbonation does not lead to the development of comparable microstructures to those observed in naturally carbonated pastes. The accelerated carbonation rates were ~ 33 times higher than those determined under natural carbonation exposure. Therefore, accelerated tests are considered unsuitable for predicting the long-term carbonation performance of Na 2 SO 4 -activated slag cements.
Report of RILEM TC 267—TRM: Improvement and robustness study of lime mortar strength test for assessing reactivity of SCMs Anuj Parashar, Anya Vollpracht, Johannes Haufe, Ruben Snellings, Yuvaraj Dhandapani, Manu Santhanam, Sabina Dolenec, Milena Marroccoli, Antonio Telesca, Aneeta Mary Joseph, Natalia Alderete, Nele De Belie, Pawel Durdzinski, Mohsen Ben Haha, Mahipal Kasaniya, Michael Thomas, Özlem Cizer, Mathieu Antoni, Serge Sabio, Xuerun Li, R. Douglas Hooton, Karen L. Scrivener, Shashank Bishnoi Materials and Structures Materiaux Et Constructions, 2022
Perspectives on blended cementitious systems with calcined clay-limestone combination for sustainable low carbon cement transition Indian Concrete Journal, 2020
RILEM TC-238 SCM recommendation on hydration stoppage by solvent exchange for the study of hydrate assemblages Ruben Snellings, Jacek Chwast, Özlem Cizer, Nele De Belie, Yuvaraj Dhandapani, Pawel Durdzinski, Jan Elsen, Johannes Haufe, Doug Hooton, Cédric Patapy, Manu Santhanam, Karen Scrivener, Didier Snoeck, Laurent Steger, Sui Tongbo, Anya Vollpracht, Frank Winnefeld, Barbara Lothenbach Materials and Structures Materiaux Et Constructions, 2018
Reactivity tests for supplementary cementitious materials: RILEM TC 267-TRM phase 1 Xuerun Li, Ruben Snellings, Mathieu Antoni, Natalia Mariel Alderete, Mohsen Ben Haha, Shashank Bishnoi, Özlem Cizer, Martin Cyr, Klaartje De Weerdt, Yuvaraj Dhandapani, Josée Duchesne, Johannes Haufe, Doug Hooton, Maria Juenger, Siham Kamali-Bernard, Sabina Kramar, Milena Marroccoli, Aneeta Mary Joseph, Anuj Parashar, Cedric Patapy, John L. Provis, Sergio Sabio, Manu Santhanam, Laurent Steger, Tongbo Sui, Antonio Telesca, Anya Vollpracht, Felipe Vargas, Brant Walkley, Frank Winnefeld, Guang Ye, Maciej Zajac, Shizhe Zhang, Karen L. Scrivener Materials and Structures Materiaux Et Constructions, 2018
Service life and life-cycle assessment of reinforced concrete with fly ash and limestone calcined clay cement 6th International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures Icdcs 2018, 2018
Impact of the mineralogy of low–purity clays on their suitability as supplementary cementitious materials I Tole, Y Dhandapani, SJ Kemp, ATM Marsh, C Mitchell, L Black, H Wong, ... Cement and Concrete Research 204, 108211 , 2026 2026 Citations: 1
Influence of Superplasticiser Type and Dosage on the Fresh and Hardened Properties of Engineered Cementitious Composites with Limestone Calcined Clay Cement M Alma, Y Dhandapani, F Kanavaris Proceedings of the RILEM Spring Convention 2026: Volume 2 2, 100 , 2026 2026
Carbonation resistance of calcined clay binders: influence of calcined clay reactivity, replacement level, and curing duration AY Ngo Suet, SA Bernal, Y Dhandapani The Indian Concrete Journal 100 (5), 51-62 , 2026 2026
A Critical Assessment of Test Methods for Steel–Cement System Degradation in Geological CO2 Storage Environments R Rajesh, Y Dhandapani, J Owen, RF Mazumder, SA Bernal, R Barker AMPP CONFERENCE 2026, 1-17 , 2026 2026
A reactive-transport framework to model carbonation performance of a hardened cement: the case of alkali-sulfate slag cement pastes Z Yue, Y Dhandapani, JL Provis, SA Bernal Cement and Concrete Research 197, 107961 , 2025 2025 Citations: 4
Assessing carbonation depth using pH indicators: A comparison between phenolphthalein and thymolphthalein indicator Y Dhandapani Research Data & Reports 1 (1), 83-85 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
The meta-kaolinite content of the calcined clay source impacts the mechanical and durability performance of blended Portland concrete Y Dhandapani, KK Subramanian, F Kanavaris, L Black, SA Bernal Cement and Concrete Research 196, 107922 , 2025 2025 Citations: 23
Screening composite cement blends incorporating various calcined clays sources using electrical bulk conductivity measurement U Nkanga, Y Dhandapani, L Black Springer Series in Materials Science , 2025 2025
Towards Adoption of Composite Cements In India, produced using Slag-Limestone, Fly Ash-Limestone and Calcined Clay-Limestone Combinations Y Dhandapani, M Santhanam The Indian Concrete Journal 9 (9), 6-25 , 2025 2025
Influence of limestone addition on the engineering and durability performance of Portland-blast furnace slag blended concretes M Sabtiwu, Y Dhandapani, MP Drewniok, S Adu-Amankwah, SA Bernal Construction and Building Materials 489, 142282 , 2025 2025 Citations: 5
Chloride-related durability properties of mortars and concrete containing calcined clay U Nkanga, Y Dhandapani, FO Pessu, L Black Springer Nature , 2025 2025
Comparison of Fresh and Hardened Properties of Calcined Clay Blended with CEM I and CEM II/AL EH Laskar, U Nkanga, H Hafez, Y Dhandapani, L Black ACI Materials Journal , 2025 2025
Suitability of excavated London Clay from tunnelling operations as a supplementary cementitious material and expanded clay aggregate F Kanavaris, A Papakosta, F Zunino, H Pantelidou, BA Baudet, ... Calcined Clays for Sustainable Concrete: Proceedings of the International … , 2025 2025 Citations: 4
Carbonation induced changes in the mechanical performance, water and chloride permeability of Portland cement-slag-limestone ternary cement concretes M Sabtiwu, Y Dhandapani, M Drewniok, S Adu-Amankwah, SA Bernal Cement and Concrete Composites, 106222 , 2025 2025 Citations: 11
Chloride Transport in Low Clinker Content Concretes and Modeling P Yang, N Neithalath, M Santhanam, Y Dhandapani 2025
Aprovechamiento de arcillas calcinadas británicas con bajo contenido de caolinita en las obras del tren de alta velocidad del Reino Unido SA Bernal, Y Dhandapani, F Kanavaris, A Papakosta, A Tsoumelekas Cemento Hormigón, 12-15 , 2025 2025
Structural alterations in alkali-sulfate-activated slag cement pastes induced by natural and accelerated carbonation Z Yue, Y Dhandapani, SA Bernal Cement and Concrete Research 187, 107713 , 2025 2025 Citations: 15
Phase evolution and performance of sodium sulfate-activated slag cement pastes Z Yue, Y Dhandapani, S Adu-Amankwah, SA Bernal Cement 18, 100117 , 2024 2024 Citations: 17
Transformation of London Clay into construction resources: Calcined London Clay (CLC) as Supplementary Cementitious Material (SCM) in concrete mixes A Papakosta, A Tsoumelekas, F Kanavaris, Y Dhandapani, SA Bernal, ... HS2 learning legacy https://learninglegacy.hs2.org.uk/document … , 2024 2024
Report of RILEM TC 281-CCC: A critical review of the standardised testing methods to determine carbonation resistance of concrete SA Bernal, Y Dhandapani, Y Elakneswaran, GJG Gluth, E Gruyaert, ... Materials and Structures 57 (8), 173 , 2024 2024 Citations: 30
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Mechanical properties and durability performance of concretes with Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) Y Dhandapani, T Sakthivel, M Santhanam, R Gettu, RG Pillai Cement and concrete research 107, 136-151 , 2018 2018 Citations: 733
Assessment of pore structure evolution in the limestone calcined clay cementitious system and its implications for performance Y Dhandapani, M Santhanam Cement and Concrete Composites 84, 36-47 , 2017 2017 Citations: 399
Service life and life cycle assessment of reinforced concrete systems with limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) RG Pillai, R Gettu, M Santhanam, S Rengaraju, Y Dhandapani, ... Cement and Concrete Research 118, 111-119 , 2019 2019 Citations: 395
Towards ternary binders involving limestone additions—A review Y Dhandapani, M Santhanam, G Kaladharan, S Ramanathan Cement and concrete research 143, 106396 , 2021 2021 Citations: 380
Reactivity tests for supplementary cementitious materials: RILEM TC 267-TRM phase 1 X Li, R Snellings, M Antoni, NM Alderete, M Ben Haha, S Bishnoi, Ö Cizer, ... Materials and Structures 51 (6), 151 , 2018 2018 Citations: 360
RILEM TC-238 SCM recommendation on hydration stoppage by solvent exchange for the study of hydrate assemblages R Snellings, J Chwast, Ö Cizer, N De Belie, Y Dhandapani, P Durdzinski, ... Materials and Structures 51 (6), 172 , 2018 2018 Citations: 337
Report of TC 238-SCM: hydration stoppage methods for phase assemblage studies of blended cements—results of a round robin test R Snellings, J Chwast, Ö Cizer, N De Belie, Y Dhandapani, P Durdzinski, ... Materials and structures 51 (4), 111 , 2018 2018 Citations: 266
Investigation on the microstructure-related characteristics to elucidate performance of composite cement with limestone-calcined clay combination Y Dhandapani, M Santhanam Cement and Concrete Research 129 (March 2020), 105959 , 2020 2020 Citations: 201
Hydration and mixture design of calcined clay blended cements: review by the RILEM TC 282-CCL F Zunino, Y Dhandapani, M Ben Haha, J Skibsted, S Joseph, S Krishnan, ... Materials and Structures 55 (9), 234 , 2022 2022 Citations: 115
Simulation of chloride diffusion in fly ash and limestone-calcined clay cement (LC3) concretes and the influence of damage on service-life P Yang, Y Dhandapani, M Santhanam, N Neithalath Cement and Concrete Research 130 (April 2020), 106010 , 2020 2020 Citations: 83
Performance evaluation of limestone-calcined clay (LC2) combination as a cement substitute in concrete systems subjected to short-term heat curing V BV, Y Dhandapani, M Santhanam Construction and Building Material 302 (Oct 2021), 124121 , 2021 2021 Citations: 59
Durability performance of binary and ternary blended cementitious systems with calcined clay: a RILEM TC 282-CCL review Y Dhandapani, S Joseph, S Bishnoi, W Kunther, F Kanavaris, T Kim, ... Materials and Structures 55 (5), 145 , 2022 2022 Citations: 48
Influence of limestone addition on sodium sulphate activated blast furnace slag cements ATM Marsh, Z Yue, Y Dhandapani, K Button, S Adu-Amankwah, ... Construction and Building Materials 360, 129527 , 2022 2022 Citations: 42
Mechanical properties of concrete made with calcined clay: a review by RILEM TC-282 CCL S Joseph, Y Dhandapani, DA Geddes, Z Zhao, S Bishnoi, M Vieira, ... Materials and Structures 56 (4), 84 , 2023 2023 Citations: 35
Suitability of excavated London Clay as a supplementary cementitious material: Mineralogy and Reactivity Y Dhandapani, ATM Marsh, S Rahmon, F Kanavaris, A Papakosta, ... Materials and Structures 56, 174 , 2023 2023 Citations: 34
Fresh properties of concrete containing calcined clays: a review by RILEM TC-282 CCL Y Dhandapani, S Joseph, DA Geddes, Z Zhao, P Boustingorry, S Bishnoi, ... Materials and Structures 55 (6), 151 , 2022 2022 Citations: 32
Report of RILEM TC 281-CCC: A critical review of the standardised testing methods to determine carbonation resistance of concrete SA Bernal, Y Dhandapani, Y Elakneswaran, GJG Gluth, E Gruyaert, ... Materials and Structures 57 (8), 173 , 2024 2024 Citations: 30
Perspectives on Blended Cementitious Systems with Calcined Clay-Limestone Combination for Sustainable Low Carbon Cement Transition Y Dhandapani, M Santhanam, R Gettu, R Pillai Indian Concrete Journal, 31-45 , 2020 2020 Citations: 30
Development of the Microstructure in LC 3 Systems and Its Effect on Concrete Properties Y Dhandapani, K Vignesh, T Raja, M Santhanam Calcined Clays for Sustainable Concrete: Proceedings of the 2nd … , 2017 2017 Citations: 29
Evaluating the impact of curing temperature in delayed ettringite formation using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy YK Ramu, V Sirivivatnanon, P Thomas, Y Dhandapani, K Vessalas Construction and Building Materials 282, 122726 , 2021 2021 Citations: 27
