Performance and Sustainability Aspects of Fiber Reinforced Limestone Calcined Clay (LC3) Composites: A review

Concrete, a fundamental material in modern construction, has contributed significantly to global infrastructure development but is burdened by environmental concerns due to its high carbon footprint. This review paper explores Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) as an eco-friendly alternative, focusing on its blend with fibers to enhance mechanical properties while reducing environmental impact. LC3, a blend of limestone, clay, and gypsum, offers reduced CO2 emissions compared to conventional cement. Various fibers, including polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl alcohol, steel, and carbon fibers, have shown promising results in LC3 composites. The paper reviews mix proportions, fresh properties, mechanical performance, durability, microstructural characteristics, and environmental aspects of fiber-reinforced LC3 blends. Findings indicate that LC3-based composites exhibit high tensile strain, high toughness, reduced drying shrinkage, controlled crack propagation, and reduced CO2 emissions, making them promising for sustainable construction. This review aims to provide insights into the properties and performance of fiber-reinforced LC3 blends, contributing to the development of environmentally friendly building materials with low carbon footprints. Further research in fiber reinforced LC3 composites should be focused on optimization of the mix design, fiber content and production process of LC3-fiber composites and understanding the microstructural behavior of the fiber-matrix interface and its effect on the mechanical properties.