Vol. 29 No. 1 (2026) Cover Image
Vol. 29 No. 1 (2026)

Published: March 20, 2026

Pages: 1-8

Original Article

Enhancing concrete performance with Jordanian natural zeolite for continuous reinforced pavements construction and design

Tamara Bani Ata 1 Asmaa T. Ibraheem 2
1 Jordan University of Science and Technology
2 Department of Civil Engineering, Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad-Iraq
History
  • Received: March 13, 2025
  • Revised: June 4, 2025
  • Accepted: June 22, 2025
  • Available Online: March 20, 2026
DOI

https://doi.org/10.29194/NJES.29010001

Abstract

Real-life strategies are applied to assess pavement functionality, high-quality performance, and durability throughout its service life. Estimating pavement maintenance and sustainability is difficult. High-performance continuous reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) structural design and Jordanian natural zeolite (JNZ) as a sustainable supplementary cementitious material (SCM) and unique mixed cement for green manufacturing are researched in this paper. The results obtained from this study showed that replacing cement with JNZ powder at 0%, 10%, 15%, and 20% improved concrete performance. Natural zeolite-mixed cement preserved concrete quality and reduced the need for ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and sulfate-resistant cement (SRC) clinker. After that, slab universal testing equipment and Jordanian zeolite-blended cement-reinforced concrete slabs were developed for CRCP performance. Therefore, fresh concrete was tested for partial cement substitution and standard mixture workability. Compressive, tensile, and flexural strength tests on 7 and 28 days and durability test (water absorption) were utilized to assess concrete strength and natural zeolite's potential to reduce resource consumption and carbon footprint while maintaining structural integrity using Open LCA. Sustainable CRCP structure development improved performance, resource conservation, and carbon footprint over the prior mix, according to EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) software and chemical tests. This research improves materials and supports global sustainability goals.

Keywords

References

  1. M. Shekarchi, B. Ahmadi, F. Azarhomayun, B. Shafei, and M. Kioumarsi, "Natural zeolite as a supplementary cementitious material-A holistic review of main properties and applications," Constr. Build. Mater., vol. 409, p. 133766, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.133766
  2. Y. T. Tran, J. Lee, P. Kumar, K.-H. Kim, and S. S. Lee, "Natural zeolite and its application in concrete composite production," Compos. Part B: Eng., vol. 165, pp. 354-364, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2018.12.084
  3. C. Plati, "Sustainability factors in pavement materials, design, and preservation strategies: A literature review," Constr. Build. Mater., vol. 211, pp. 539-555, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.03.242
  4. S. Salehi, M. Arashpour, J. Kodikara, and R. Guppy, "Sustainable pavement construction: A systematic literature review of environmental and economic analysis of recycled materials," J. Clean. Prod., vol. 313, p. 127936, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127936
  5. N. N. Shaikh and A. V. Karvekar, "A review on application of zeolite as a partial replacement of cement in a rigid pavement," Int. Res. J. Eng. Technol. (IRJET), vol. 7, no. 5, pp. 406-412, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.irjet.net/archives/V7/i5/IRJET-V7I51406.pdf
  6. J. Krassowska, P. Wolka, K. Protchenko, and A. Vidales-Barriguete, "Testing the influence of metakaolinite and zeolite on the adhesion of BFRP and GFRP bars to concrete," Materials, vol. 16, no. 23, p. 7435, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16237435
  7. S. Waghmare and G. Ghadvir, "Study of influence of zeolite application in rigid pavement and strength prediction through regression analysis," 2023. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3442339/v1
  8. I. Sudarsono, S. Wahyudi, H. Adi, and M. Ikval, "Effect of zeolite on the compressive strength of concrete with different types of cement," in IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci., vol. 955, no. 1, p. 012002, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/955/1/012002
  9. N. A.-H. H. Ahmed and A. T. Ibraheem, "Greening the future of construction: Unleashing natural zeolite for eco-friendly high-performance cement," GEOMATE J., vol. 27, no. 119, pp. 59-69, 2024. https://doi.org/10.21660/2024.119.4383
  10. T. H. B. Ata and A. T. Ibraheem, "The impact of Jordanian natural zeolite and silica fume on concrete performance sustainability," Edelweiss Appl. Sci. Technol., vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 1228-1242, 2025. https://doi.org/10.55214/25768484.v9i1.4380
  11. N. A.-H. H. Ahmed and A. T. Ibraheem, "Sustainable road paving: Enhancing concrete paver blocks with zeolite-enhanced cement," Open Eng., vol. 14, no. 1, p. 20220581, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1515/eng-2022-0581
  12. ASTM International, ASTM C469 - Standard test method for static modulus of elasticity and Poisson's ratio of concrete in compression, 2022.
  13. A. Yudi, S. Nabila, M. G. Naghazta, and W. R. Trisna, "Utilization of zeolite materials with physical activation and chemical activation as cement substitutes," in AIP Conf. Proc., vol. 3109, no. 1, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0205079
  14. G. Girskas, I. Pundienė, and J. Pranckevičienė, "The effect of natural and synthesized zeolites on cement-based materials hydration and hardened state properties," Materials, vol. 16, no. 16, p. 5608, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16165608