Innovation Anthology #712:
The coal fired generating plant at Genesee produces a high quality fly ash and it’s in high demand across North America.
According to Darren Alessandrini, the concrete industry uses Genesee fly ash as a replacement for Portland Cement in specialized engineering projects.
Darren is Senior Manager of Natural Resources and Business Development for Capital Power.
DARREN ALESSANDRINI: Essentially the chemistry of it is that fly ash is what’s known as a polysan, And a polysan reacts in a certain way with Portland cement in concrete to increase the reaction and fill in the voids that Portland cement normally leaves. A big problem they have in the States is something called alkali silica reactivity. So a lot of the gravels they use there, if they don’t use our fly ash in the concrete, the concrete will crack and spall over a number of years. But our fly ash renders that alkali silica reactivity neutral and increases the durability.
Darren Alessandrini says Genesee fly ash was used in the Encana Tower in Calgary. And it saves one tonne of CO2 for each tonne of Portland cement it replaces.
Thanks today to CAPITAL POWER
FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY
I’M CHERYL CROUCHER
Guest
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Sponsor
Capital Power
Program Date: 2015-09-03