ABSTRACT
This chapter briefly discusses some alternatives to Portland cement. These include calcium aluminate cement (CAC) that has been in use for a hundred years or so and some cements that have more limited use and/or are currently being developed and are not yet in widespread use. This latter group is of particular interest because of their potential of being produced at lower temperatures than Portland cement, thereby requiring less energy for production; this is a major concern for Portland cement in relation to sustainability issues, particularly carbon emissions. The setting time of CAC is about 30 minutes longer than that of a typical Portland cement. There are, however, several current important uses of CAC and concrete that takes advantage of its superior properties compared to other cements: alkali-activated cements, geopolymer cements, waste-derived cements and magnesium oxide-based cements.
