Low-carbon cements review of freeze-thaw tests: Mediterranean corridor proposal

The cement industry is a major contributor to global CO₂ emissions, which has led to the development of low-carbon cements. A critical factor in ensuring the durability of these materials is their resistance to freeze-thaw (F-T) cycles, especially as climate change expands the relevance of these tests beyond traditionally cold regions to areas with increasingly variable climates. This review analyzes current testing standards for low-CO₂ cements exposed to F-T cycles, highlighting gaps in performance research in this field. The study proposes a novel testing framework tailored to the specific temperature and humidity fluctuations found in the Mediterranean corridor, with a focus on north-eastern Spain. A thermal curve model was developed based on regional climate data, offering a more realistic assessment of cement durability in the Mediterranean corridor. The findings emphasize the lack of global data in some countries, as well as the fact that most research has been conducted by countries in cold regions, overlooking the rest of the world where freeze-thaw cycles also occur. This underscores the need for future research to address these gaps and to combine durability and sustainability not only in freeze-thaw testing but also in broader construction and cement research.