System and method for managing gas in the manufacturing of a concrete product

Abstract

A curing system for manufacturing a concrete product includes a source of gas and a plurality of enclosures, each of the enclosures being in fluid communication with the source of the gas and at least one other of the plurality of enclosures. The enclosures receive gas from the source and / or from another one of enclosures for curing the concrete product. A gas management system includes a controller configured to regulate a flow of the gas from the source to the plurality of enclosures, and the flow of gas from each of the enclosures to the other enclosures.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING GAS IN THE MANUFACTURING OF A CONCRETE PRODUCTCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority on United States patent application No. 63 / 670,347 filed July 12, 2024, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] This disclosure relates generally to concrete products and, more particularly, to systems and methods used for gas management in the manufacturing of such concrete products.BACKGROUND

[0003] In manufacturing traditional concrete products, a dry mixture, which may include a cement and an aggregate, is mixed with water. The resultant intermediate may undergo a conditioning step, in which some of the water it contains is evaporated. The conditioned intermediate product subsequently undergoes a separate curing step, in order to obtain the final concrete product. The curing step is typically carried out in an enclosure, also referred to as a curing chamber.

[0004] In certain existing processes, a gas, such as CO2, is injected into the enclosure to perform the curing step. Remaining gas in the enclosure, which may contain some CO2, is then evacuated, for instance to the atmosphere. It is therefore desired to minimize environmental impacts of the loss of CO2 (or other gases) after curing concrete products.SUMMARY

[0005] In accordance with one aspect, there is accordingly provided a curing system for manufacturing a concrete product, comprising: a source of gas; a plurality of enclosures, each of the plurality of enclosures in fluid communication with the source of the gas and at least one other of the plurality of enclosures, each of the plurality of enclosures receiving the gas from the source and / or from the at least one other of the plurality of enclosures for curing the concrete product; and a gas management system including a controller configured to regulate a flow of the gas from the source to theplurality of enclosures and from each of the plurality of enclosures to the at least one other of the plurality of enclosures.

[0006] The curing system as defined above and described elsewhere herein also includes, in certain embodiments, one or more of the following features, in whole or in part, and in any combination.

[0007] In certain aspects, the flow of gas from one of the plurality of enclosures is used to purge the at least one other of the plurality of enclosures.

[0008] In certain aspects, at least one of the plurality of enclosures includes one or more of a flow meter, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a gas concentration sensor, and a pressure sensor operatively coupled to the controller.

[0009] In certain aspects, a fluid conduit between each of the plurality of enclosures and the at least one other of the plurality of enclosures, the fluid conduit including a flow rate modifier operatively connected to the controller and adapted to vary a flow rate through the conduit.

[0010] In certain aspects, the controller is configured to control one or more of a flow rate, pressure, temperature, humidity and concentration of the flow of gas.

[0011] In certain aspects, the controller is configured to obtain environmental parameters of the system and control the flow of gas based on the obtained environmental parameters.

[0012] In certain aspects, the gas is CO2.

[0013] In certain aspects, the concrete product manufactured by the curing system comprises: a composition including a binder, water, and an aggregate, the binder having an MM ratio greater than or equal to 0.5; wherein the MM ratio is defined as: a mass in kilograms (kg) of carbon dioxide captured per unit of mass of the binder, divided by a quantity of energy in kilowatt hours (kWh) used to obtain the binder, per the unit of mass of the binder.

[0014] In certain aspects, the binder is steel slag and / or stainless steel slag.

[0015] There is also provided, in accordance with another aspect, a method for curing a concrete product, comprising: flowing a gas from a source of the gas to a first enclosure containing a first concrete product; curing the first concrete product with the gas in the first enclosure; subsequently to the curing, determining a quantity of remaining gas in the first enclosure; detecting that the quantity of remaining gas is greater than a minimum threshold required to at least partially perform an additional curing process; and flowing the remaining gas from the first enclosure to a second enclosure containing a second concrete product for curing the second concrete product in the second enclosure.

[0016] The method as defined above and described elsewhere herein also includes, in certain embodiments, one or more of the following features, in whole or in part, and in any combination.

[0017] In certain aspects, the method includes selectively opening and closing a gas flow path between the first enclosure and the second enclosure.

[0018] In certain aspects, the method includes determining the quantity of remaining gas in the first enclosure includes measuring a concentration of gas in the first enclosure.

[0019] In certain aspects, the method includes determining a quantity of remaining gas in the first enclosure includes measuring a flow rate of the remaining gas in the first enclosure exiting the first enclosure.

[0020] In certain aspects, the method includes flowing an additional quantity of gas from the source of gas to the second enclosure to combine with the remaining gas from the first enclosure.

[0021] In certain aspects, the method includes purging the second enclosure with the remaining gas from the first enclosure.

[0022] In certain aspects, the method includes flowing the remaining gas in the first enclosure to at least one additional enclosure.

[0023] In certain aspects, the method includes providing the concrete product for curing, the concrete produce formed of a composition including a binder, water, and an aggregate, the binder having an MM ratio greater than or equal to 0.5; wherein the MM ratio is defined as: a mass in kilograms (kg) of carbon dioxide captured per unit of mass of the binder, divided by a quantity of energy in kilowatt hours (kWh) used to obtain the binder, per the unit of mass of the binder.

[0024] In certain aspects, the method includes using steel slag and / or stainless steel slag as the binder.

[0025] There is further provided, in accordance with another aspect, a method for managing gas in the manufacture of a concrete product, the method comprising: obtaining environmental and mixture parameters and desired performance metrics of the concrete product, the environmental and mixture parameters representative of an environment in which the concrete product is manufactured and representative of characteristics of constituents of a mixture to produce the concrete product; determining manufacturing parameters from a trained model to obtain the concrete product meeting the desired performance metrics, the trained model being trained using machine learning and historical data relating performance metrics data of concrete products to both of environment and mixture parameters data and manufacturing parameters data; and controlling at least one gas management systems to manufacture the concrete products using the manufacturing parameters determined from the trained model.

[0026] The method as defined above and described elsewhere herein also includes, in certain embodiments, one or more of the following features, in whole or in part, and in any combination.

[0027] In certain aspects, the environmental parameters comprise at least one of temperature, pressure and / or humidity.

[0028] In certain aspects, the manufacturing parameters comprise at least one of conditioning parameters, and curing parameters, composition parameters.

[0029] In certain aspects, the conditioning parameters comprise at least one of a time duration of a conditioning step, a conditioning temperature, a conditioning pressure and / or a conditioning relative humidity.

[0030] In certain aspects, the curing parameters comprise at least one of a curing time duration of a curing step, a curing temperature, a curing pressure, a curing relative humidity, a concentration in CO2 of a gas used for the curing step, a pressure of the gas containing CO2.

[0031] In certain aspects, the composition parameters comprise at least one of a water to binder ratio by weight, and / or an aggregate to binder ratio by weight.

[0032] In certain aspects, the method includes providing the mixture for the concrete product, the mixture comprising a binder, water, and an aggregate, the binder having an MM ratio greater than or equal to 0.5; wherein the MM ratio is defined as: a mass in kilograms (kg) of carbon dioxide captured per unit of mass of the binder, divided by a quantity of energy in kilowatt hours (kWh) used to obtain the binder, per the unit of mass of the binder.

[0033] In certain aspects, the method includes using steel slag and / or stainless steel slag as the binder in the mixture.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Reference is now made to the accompanying figures in which:

[0035] Fig. 1 A is a schematic view of a system for manufacturing a concrete product, according to an embodiment;

[0036] Fig. 1 B is a schematic view of a gas management system for the system of Fig. 1A;

[0037] Fig. 1C is a schematic view of a system for manufacturing a concrete product, according to another embodiment;

[0038] Fig. 2 is a schematic view of an exemplary enclosure for the systems of Figs. 1A-1C;

[0039] Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a method of manufacturing a concrete product;

[0040] Fig. 4 is a schematic view of a system for determining manufacturing parameters for manufacturing a concrete product using the method of Fig. 3;

[0041] Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of historical data used to train a trained model of the system of Fig. 4;

[0042] Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a method of manufacturing a concrete product;

[0043] Fig. 7 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a method of curing a concrete product; and

[0044] Fig. 8 is a schematic representation of a controller in accordance with one embodiment.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Various representative embodiments of the described technology will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which representative embodiments are shown. The present technology concept may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the representative embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these representative embodiments are provided so that the disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present technology to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the sizes and relative sizes of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity. Like numerals refer to like elements throughout.

[0046] It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element from another. Thus, a first elementdiscussed below could be termed a second element without departing from the teachings of the present technology. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0047] The terminology used herein is only intended to describe particular representative embodiments and is not intended to be limiting of the present technology. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.Introduction

[0048] There remains growing interest worldwide to reduce the environmental footprint of precast concrete. Carbonation curing technology is among the most promising solutions. During carbonation curing, precast concrete hardens mainly through the so- called carbonation reaction which happens between carbon dioxide and the oxides, and / or hydroxide of calcium and / or magnesium, with the existence of water. Under appropriate raw material selection, mix design and process control, carbonated precast concrete may be as strong and durable as traditional precast concrete, and suitable for a variety of applications.

[0049] Manufacturing precast concrete with carbonation curing technology may address concerns over climate change. Under appropriate processing condition, freshly cast concrete products may achieve rapid hardening when being exposed in CC>2-rich environment. Depending on its composition, one tonne of precast concrete has the potential of permanently fixing up to 100 kg CO2 in less than 24 hours of early-age carbonation. This may help to mitigate the CO2 emissions associated with the construction industry. Other advantages of carbonated precast concrete may include the improvement of productivity through rapid hardening, the reduction of production cost through thereplacement of ordinary Portland cement with environmental-friendly and less expensive binders such as steel slag, and so on.

[0050] Mineral carbonation is based on the reaction of CO2 with metal oxide bearing materials to form insoluble carbonates, with calcium and magnesium being the most attractive metals. Mineral carbonation occurs when a high concentration CO2 is brought into contact with metal oxide bearing materials with the purpose of fixing the CO2 as carbonates.

[0051] Due to initiatives regarding carbon emissions, mineral carbonation of CO2 into cement-based materials has gained attention in recent years. The cement industry is a primary producer of carbon dioxide (CO2), which is recognized as a major greenhouse gas. Thus, disadvantageously, large amounts of CO2 are produced by the chemical reactions occurring in the manufacture of cement. Industrial metal oxide bearing residues, such as steel slag, can be carbonated and may be used as a much-reduced CO2-emitting alternative. Concretes processed as such display improved physical performance and better overall resistance to freeze-thaw cycles, sulfate salts, and acids. In addition to binder activation, carbonation’s valorizing potential can also be exploited to recycle suitable industrial wastes into raw building materials. The perpetual fixation of carbon dioxide in building products conduces a more sustainable stance for the concrete industry as it fulfills mandates for lower carbon footprint.

[0052] In the context of the present disclosure, the expressions “cement” and “binder” have different meanings. A binder is a material that, when mixed with water will cause hardening of the mixture to obtain a concrete product. A cement is a specific type of binder. For instance, binders include Ordinary Portland Cement, steel slag, stainless steel slag, and so on. Cements include Ordinary Portland Cement, other kinds of cement. Slags are binders, but they are not considered cements. Binders may include hydraulic binders, such as cement, and non-hydraulic binders, such as slags (e.g., steel slags). A binder is referred to as “hydraulic” when reaction with water causes the hardening of the concrete product. A binder is referred to as “non-hydraulic” when another ingredient is responsible for the hardening of the concrete product. In the case of steel slag, this other ingredient is carbon dioxide.

[0053] U.S. Pat. No. 10,112,871 and U.S. Pat. No. 11 ,358,902, the entire contends of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, describe a method of producing a wet-cast slag-based concrete product particularly where the wet-cast slagbased concrete product is partially or completely set inside a mold, pre-conditioned outside of the mold and then subjected to mineral carbonation with exposure to CO2 in a carbonation enclosure.

[0054] There remains growing interest worldwide to reduce the environmental footprint of precast concrete. Conversion of carbon dioxide into solid calcium carbonate, via carbonation, is among the most promising solutions. During carbonation, precast concrete hardens mainly through a so-called carbonation reaction which happens between carbon dioxide and the oxides, and / or hydroxide of calcium and / or magnesium, with the existence of water. Under appropriate raw material selection, mix design and process control, carbonated precast concrete may be as strong and durable as traditional precast concrete, and suitable for a variety of applications.

[0055] Manufacturing precast concrete with carbonation technology or mineralization may address concerns over climate change. Under appropriate processing condition, freshly cast concrete products may achieve rapid hardening when being exposed in CO2- rich environment. This CO2 conversion may help to mitigate the CO2 emissions associated with the construction industry. Other advantages of carbonated precast concrete may include the improvement of productivity through rapid hardening, the reduction of production cost through the replacement of ordinary Portland cement with environmental-friendly and less expensive binders such as steel slag.

[0056] In accordance with an aspect of the present technology, there is provided system for curing a concrete product, comprising: a pressurized gas source providing gas; a plurality of enclosures, each of the plurality of enclosures in fluid communication with the pressurized gas source and at least one other of the plurality of enclosures for receiving the gas for curing the concrete product; and a controller regulating a flow of gas from the pressurized gas source to the plurality of enclosures and from each of the plurality of enclosures to the at least one other of the plurality of enclosures.Gas Management System

[0057] Referring to Figs. 1A-1C, an exemplary system for the management of gas in the conditioning and curing a concrete product is shown at 100. The depicted system 100 includes a plurality of enclosures, illustratively two enclosures 110, 112, and a source of carbon dioxide (CO2) 116, which may be a reservoir or tank, fluidly connected to an enclosure 110 via a line 118. The enclosures 110, 112 defines an inner space or chamber, also referred to as a curing chamber, that is sized to accept a plurality of concrete products to be cured. Other numbers of enclosures may be contemplated.

[0058] As noted above, gas such as CO2 is used to cure a concrete product in an enclosure. Typically, gas remaining in the enclosure after the curing process is evacuated, for instance to the atmosphere. In some cases, this gas may include some remaining CO2 that could otherwise be used for a subsequent process, and is thus lost. Therefore, in accordance with the present disclosure, system 100 is adapted to flow CO2 remaining from a curing procedure in a first enclosure 110 to be used in a subsequent curing procedure in a second enclosure 112.

[0059] Referring to Fig. 2, an exemplary enclosure, e.g., enclosure 110, is shown. While Fig. 2 refers to the first enclosure 110 of Fig. 1A, it is understood that the other enclosures 112, 114, etc. are similarly configured. The enclosure is fluidly connected to the gas source 116, for instance a reservoir or tank containing carbon dioxide, pneumatically connected to the enclosure 110 via line 118. In the embodiment shown, a heater 119 for heating the carbon dioxide as it flows from the gas source 116 to the enclosure 110. In the present configuration, a valve 120 is selectively opened or closed to allow or restrict the flow of carbon dioxide toward the enclosure 110 and / or to other enclosures, e.g. enclosure 112.

[0060] The enclosure 110 defines an inner space or chamber 110A that is sized to accept the plurality of concrete products 121 to be cured. In the embodiment shown, the enclosure 110 includes top, bottom and side walls interconnected to one another in an airtight manner. In the context of the present disclosure, “airtight” implies that there is little to no leakage of gas through the enclosure 110 at a pressure differential at which the enclosure 110 is subjected to. The pressure differential corresponds to a differencebetween the pressure inside the enclosure 110 and an ambient pressure outside the enclosure 110. In embodiments, the enclosure 110 is structurally designed to withstand a pressure differential created by a greater pressure of the carbon dioxide inside the enclosure 110 than an atmospheric pressure outside the enclosure 110. A blower 122 is illustratively located in the chamber 110A of the enclosure 110 and is operable to generate an airflow F that may accelerate the conditioning and / or curing process.

[0061] In the shown embodiment, one or more sensors 123, for instance one or more of a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor, are provided. The temperature sensor and humidity sensor 123 are operatively connected to the chamber 110A and are operable generate one or more signals indicative of a temperature and a humidity level inside the enclosure 110. In embodiments, a scale or balance 124 supports the enclosure 110 and is used to measure a weight variation of the concrete products 121 during the conditioning and curing phase. The balance 124 sends a signal indicative of a weight of the enclosure 110 containing the concrete products 121. More specifically, water content of the concrete products 121 is expected to evaporate during the conditioning and curing phase. The balance 124 measures this weight variation and is used to determine whether the conditioning and curing process is completed.

[0062] In the embodiment shown, a controller 180 is operatively connected to the temperature and humidity sensor 123, to the balance 124, to the heater 119, to the blower 122, and to the valve 120. The controller 180 therefore independently controls the injection of carbon dioxide through the valve 120 and the actuation of the blower 122. In the embodiment shown, the controller 180 includes a computing device 800 such as the one shown and described below with reference to Fig. 4. The controller 180 can act as a data logger to save temperatures, weights, pressures, etc. data points during the conditioning and curing process. The controller 180 is operable to receive data from the temperature and humidity sensor 123 and from the balance 124; and to control operating parameters of the heater 119, the valve 120, and the blower 122. These operating parameters may include, for instance, a temperature of the heater 119, whether the valve 120 should be opened, closed, or at an intermediate position to control a flow of carbon dioxide through the valve 120, a rotational speed of the blower 122, and so on. The controller 180 may include different conditions depending on product type produced. In some embodiments,the controller 180 is programmed to resume a curing process to assure product quality, for instance if the process is interrupted by a power outage. In some embodiments, the controller 180 is configured to monitor process information and data points to assure repeatability of the operating conditions, as well as modulate, as a function of the of actual moisture content in the protects and / or to the different temperature and relative humidity conditions resulting from the effects of seasonality. The controller 180 is further operable to control a flow of carbon dioxide between the various enclosures 110, 112, as will be discussed in further detail below.

[0063] Referring to Fig. 1A, on the shown embodiment, the system 100 includes a gas management system 130 for managing a flow of carbon dioxide between enclosures, illustratively between the first enclosure 110 and the second enclosure 112. In the present configuration, the system 100 includes at least one pathway 140 that is selectively opened or closed to allow or restrict the flow of carbon dioxide and / or other gases between enclosures 110, 112. The pathway 140 is configurable to control a mass flow rate of the gas between enclosures 110, 112. In some embodiments, the at least one pathway 140 includes a pipe, hose, flexible tubing, manifold, filter, trap, leak detector and / or conduit. Other pathway types are contemplated. Remaining CO2 in one enclosure (e.g., enclosure 110) following a curing process may thus be flowed to another enclosure (e.g., enclosure 112) to be used in a subsequent curing process. Based on the quantity of CO2 available following the first curing process, CO2 from the first enclosure 110 and the gas source 116 are combinable at the second enclosure 112 so that a sufficient quantity of CO2 is provided.

[0064] Referring to Fig. 1 B, an exemplary gas management system 130 for the system 100 is shown. As discussed above, the gas management is configured for managing a flow of gas between enclosures (e.g., 110, 112) and the gas source 116. In this embodiment, the gas management system 130 includes at least one device 132, known as a flow modifier and / or a control operation, to regulate the behavior of a specific component of the gas flow. In some embodiments, this regulating includes various mechanical, electrical, chemical, and / or computational systems. The at least one device 132 may include, for instance, a vent, blower, fan, valve, mass flow controller, gas pressure switch, gas pressure regulator, compressor and / or pump. The at least one device132 may further include at least one environment modifier for the control of temperature and / or humidity of the gas flow. In some embodiments, the operation of at least one device 132 includes one or more or any combination of: on-off, proportional (P) control, proportional-integral (PI) control, proportional-derivative (PD) control, and / or proportional- integral-derivative (PID) control systems.

[0065] In some embodiments, the gas management system 130 further includes at least one sensor 138 and / or indicator. The at least one sensor 138 includes, for instance, a flow meter, pressure sensor, temperature sensor, carbon dioxide sensor for determining a concentration of CO2 and / or a humidity sensor. In some cases, the at least one sensor 138 is the sensor(s) 123 in the various enclosures 110, 112, 114. In other cases, the at least one sensor 138 is distinct from sensor(s) 123 and disposed outside of the enclosures 110, 112, 114.

[0066] In the shown embodiment, the gas management system 130 operatively causes the device 132 to open or close and / or turn on or off. In embodiments, the device 132 has a plurality of open and / or on positions to vary a flow rate of gas flowing from enclosure 110 to enclosure 112, for instance via a device 132 and a pathway 140. The gas management system 130 is configured to operatively cause the device 132 to open or turn on at a selected position to reach the desired flow rate of gas exiting the enclosure 110 and / or entering enclosure 112. In embodiments, a sensor 138 is coupled to the device 132 to determine characteristics of the gas flow. These characteristics may include, for instance, a mass flow rate, a temperature, a pressure, a humidity, and so on.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 1 C, another schematic view of a system 100 is shown, with additional components highlighted. In the shown case, the gas management system 130 is provided with a controller 180 as well as a plurality of enclosures (illustratively first enclosure 110, second enclosure 112, and ‘n’thenclosure 114). The depicted system 100 further includes at least one gas storage assembly 150, at least one gas purification system 160, and least one source of gas 116. In some embodiments, the flow of gas is controlled to flow, via the various pathways and through the device in the gas management system, between the various enclosures 110, 112, 114 and to or from the gas storage assembly 150, gas purification system 160, and source of gas 116.

[0068] In some embodiments, the gas storage assembly 150 is configured to store CO2 or other gases obtained from one or more of the enclosures 110, 112, 114, the purification system 160 and / or the source of CO2 116. For instance, remaining CO2 following a curing process in a given enclosure is stored in the gas storage assembly 150 before being required for a subsequent curing process in the same enclosure or a different enclosure. In some embodiments, the gas purification system 160 is configured to increase the concentration of CO2 gas throughout the system 100.Controller

[0069] While shown separately in Fig. 1C, it is understood that in various embodiments the controller 180 is included in the gas management system 130. In some embodiments, the controller 180 is operatively connected to one or more of the at least one pathway 140, the at least one device 132, the at least one sensor 138, one or more enclosure 110, 112, 114, the gas storage assembly 150, the gas purification system 160, and the source of gas 116. The controller 180 can therefore independently control the flow of gas within the system 100, the pressure, temperature and / or humidity of the gas contained by the various systems, assemblies and / or enclosures of the system 100, and / or the concentration of CO2 gas within the system 100.

[0070] In an exemplary embodiment, the controller 180 is adapted to cause a device 132 to open or close and / or turn on or off. The device 132 may have a plurality of open and / or on positions to vary a flow rate of gas between enclosures 110, 112, 114, from gas source 116 and / or gas storage 150 to an enclosure 110, 112, 114, from gas purification system 160 to gas storage assembly 150 and / or any enclosure 110, 112, 114, for instance via pathway 140 and / or gas management system 130. The controller 180 can cause the device 132 to open or turn on at a selected position to reach the desired flow rate of gas exiting and / or entering an enclosure 110, 112, 114 gas storage assembly 150, gas purification system 160, and source of gas 116. In embodiments, a sensor 138 is coupled to the device 132 to determine characteristics of the gas flow. These characteristics may include, for instance, a mass flow rate, a temperature, a pressure, a humidity, of the gas flow. These characteristics may inform the controller of the remaining quantity of CO2 in a given enclosure which can then be made available for a subsequent curing process in another enclosure.

[0071] In embodiments, the controller 180 is thus adapted to further independently control the conditioning and / or curing of concrete products contained by enclosures 110, 112, and / or 114 respectively.

[0072] In the embodiment shown, the controller 180 includes a computing device 800 such as the one shown and described below with reference to Fig. 8. The controller 180 acts as a data logger to save temperatures, weights, pressures, etc. data points during the conditioning and curing process.

[0073] The controller 180 is operable to receive data from the sensors 138 and / or 123 and to control operating parameters of flow, pressure, temperature, humidity and CO2 concentration and / or the routing of gas via pathways 140 and / or gas management system 130 through the system 100. These operating parameters may include, for instance, a temperature of the heater 119 to achieve a desired temperature of the gas injected in the enclosures 110, 112, 114, whether a device 132 (e.g., flow modifier) or pathway should be opened, closed, turned on or off or set at an intermediate position to control a flow of carbon dioxide through the device 132, a rotational speed of a fan or blower 122, and so on. More detail about these aspects are presented herein below with reference to Fig. 4. In some embodiments, the gas management system 130 comprises an open-loop and / or a closed loop system.Gas flow through the enclosures

[0071] As discussed above, the gas management system 130 is adapted to convey a flow of gas (e.g., CO2) from the gas source 116 to the various enclosures 110, 112, 114, and between the various enclosures 110, 112, 114. For instance, the gas is flowed to and between the enclosures 110, 112, 114 to condition and / or cure a concrete product 121 in one or more of the enclosures 110, 112, 114. In addition, the gas is flowed to and between the enclosures 110, 112, 114 to purge the gas from one or more of the enclosures 110, 112, 114, for instance after a conditioning and / or curing process is complete. The controller 180 is adapted to control the flow of gas between the gas source 116 and enclosures 110, 112, 114. In addition, the controller 180 is adapted to analyze the current state of the system 100, for instance to determine where to source gas from and where to direct the gas for a given conditioning and / or curing process. In an exemplaryembodiment, when a given enclosure 114 requires gas for a curing procedure, the controller 180 determines whether another enclosure 110, 112 has gas of sufficient quality and quantity to flow to the enclosure 114, or if the gas should be flowed from the gas source 116.Method and MM Ratio

[0072] Referring to Fig. 3, a method of manufacturing a concrete product is shown at 300. The method 300 includes obtaining a raw material including at least one metal oxide material at 302; subjecting the raw material to a process requiring an input of a quantity of energy to obtain a binder at 304, wherein the binder has an “MM ratio” greater than or equal to 0.5. The MM ratio is defined herein as: a mass in kilograms (kg) of the carbon dioxide captured per unit of mass of the binder, divided by the quantity of energy in kilowatt hours (kWh) used to obtain the binder, per the unit of mass of the binder; mixing a composition including the binder, water, and an aggregate to produce a concrete mixture at 306; imparting a form to the concrete mixture to obtain a formed intermediate at 308; and curing the formed intermediate with a gas containing carbon dioxide to obtain the concrete product at 310. In the present embodiment, the formed intermediate contains a binder having an MM Ratio greater than or equal to 0.5.

[0073] The MM Ratio reflects the amount of total energy required to create and process a binder for use in CO2 containing concrete products, and is expressed by the equation:MM Ratio = (CO2 uptake per tonne of binder (kg)) / (Energy required to create a tonne of binder (kwh) )

[0074] The energy consumption can be in the form of electrical and / or thermal energy and / or a combination of both. For example, 1000kg of binder will permanently capture 120kg of CO2. To process 1000kg (1 tonne) of binder, l.e. grinding by-products of steel plants, requires 60 killowatt-hours (kWh). 120 / 60 = 2; therefore, the binder can be characterized as having an MM Ratio of ‘2’. The energy used for the production of steel and / or stainless steel is not considered in this ratio as steel slags are the by-product of steel production. Put differently, the energy in the above equation starts to be consideredafter raw steel slag is obtained from steel manufacturing facilities. The steel slag is considered “raw” as it is generated during the steel manufacturing, devoid of any processing after the steel manufacturing.

[0075] In some embodiments of the current technology, the binder used for the creation of CO2 containing concrete products has an MM ratio greater than or equal to T.

[0076] In some embodiments, the raw material including the at least one metal oxide material is steel slag or stainless steel slag. These slags are, for instance, by-products, or waste materials, resulting from the manufacturing of steel and stainless steel. Typically, these by-products are not in a state that allows them to be used as-is as a binder for concrete manufacturing. Some processing may be required to transform the slags obtained from metal manufacturing facilities into a usable binder. In some embodiments, the processing include, for instance, grinding the slag into a powder having a fineness below a given threshold below which the slag may act as a binder for concrete manufacturing. The grinding step can be performed to obtain a fineness of the binder from about 10 to 100 m2 / kg, preferably greater than 100 m2 / kg, preferably about 400 m2 / kg. In some cases, a step of removing impurities (e.g., iron) with a magnet is performed.

[0077] The processing (e.g., the griding) requires energy, typically expressed in kilowatts-hours (kWh). This energy may represent an amount of power provided to a machine that performs the processing step. The power may be electrical power. Typically, it is expected that the energy required to process the slags into a product usable as a binder will be substantially less than the energy required to manufacture Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). Thus, for the above-described method 300, the MM ratio is at least 0.5, preferably greater than 1. However, for OPC, such an MM ratio is expected to be substantially less than 0.5. For OPC, the MM ratio would be much smaller, for instance, about 0.17. Hence, the MM ratio the binder used in the present disclosure is at least about 3 times, preferably about 6 times greater than OPC.Aggregate

[0074] Carbonated precast concrete is a composite material that is essentially composed of a binding medium within which are embedded fragments of aggregate. Thiscomposite material is hardened in an enriched CO2 environment normally at its early age. Examples of carbonated precast concrete products include concrete pipes, traffic barriers, walls including retaining walls, boxes including modular boxes, culverts, tiles, pavers, foundations, slabs including hollow-core slabs, patio slabs, steps, curbs, concrete masonry units, beams, floors, columns, manholes, sewage pipes, railroad ties, and other precast concrete products.

[0075] The aggregate used in carbonated precast concrete production is typically a binary blend of coarse aggregate and fine aggregate. Coarse aggregate generally refers to aggregate with particle size larger than 4.75 mm (No. 4 sieve). Fine aggregate refers to aggregate with particle size smaller than 4.75 mm. ASTM C33 specifies the quality requirements for coarse aggregate and fine aggregate. Similar specifications are also given by local government or regulatory authority, e.g., OPSS 1002, AASHTO M6 and AASHTO M80. The decision in selecting the right type and blend of aggregate is often influenced by the experience gained in manufacturing and evaluating conventional precast concrete, and also limited by supplying availability.

[0076] Among the required quality of aggregate, the maximum size and the grading of the particles are two important parameters. It is believed to affect the material cost, workability, surface quality and void content of precast concrete. Determined by the product type, application and minimum thickness (or depth) of precast concrete, the minimum clear spacing between reinforcing bars (if applicable), and the supplying availability, the maximum allowable size of coarse aggregate is often 37.5 mm (V / 2”). The most frequently used maximum size of coarse aggregate is 19 mm (3 / 4”) or 9.5 mm (3 / 8”). For fine aggregate, it is allowed to contain a maximum of 5% (mass) particles coarser than 4.75 mm (No. 4 sieve) by ASTM C33. About the grading of aggregate, well-graded coarse or fine aggregate is generally preferred for precast concrete production, i.e., the aggregate is preferred to have relatively consistent or fair representation from every size of particle within the specified sieve sizes. For fine aggregate, an empirical factor called fineness modulus is also chosen to represent the weighted average size and distribution of the aggregate. It is obtained by summing the accumulated percentages retained on the sieves of the standard series: Nos. 4, 8, 16, 30, 50, and 100 (with openings 4.75, 2.36, 1.18, 0.6, 0.3 and 0.15 mm), and then dividing the sum by 100. The higher the fineness modulus,the coarser is the aggregate. According to the specification of ASTM C33, the fineness modulus of fine aggregate should be 2.3-3.1.

[0077] Although generally accounting for 50-75% of the volume in carbonated precast concrete, aggregate is often considered as an inert filler. The possible impact of aggregate on the manufacture and performance of carbonated precast concrete has been long overlooked.

[0078] In one embodiment of the current disclosure, the disclosed carbonated precast concrete is made of aggregate with no more than 10% accumulated mass retained on No. 8 sieve (2.36 mm opening) and larger-size sieves. In another embodiment of current disclosure, the disclosed carbonated precast concrete is made of aggregate with 100% passing No. 8 sieve (2.36 mm opening). In another embodiment of current disclosure, the disclosed carbonated precast concrete is made of aggregate with 100% passing No. 16 sieve (1.18 mm opening). In another embodiment of current disclosure, the disclosed carbonated precast concrete is made of aggregate with 100% passing No. 30 sieve (0.6 mm opening). In another embodiment of current disclosure, the disclosed carbonated precast concrete is made of aggregate with 100% passing No. 50 sieve (0.3 mm opening). In another embodiment of current disclosure, the disclosed carbonated precast concrete is made of aggregate with 100% passing No. 100 sieve (0.15 mm opening). In another embodiment of current disclosure, the disclosed carbonated precast concrete is made of aggregate with 100% passing No. 100 sieve (0.075 mm opening). In a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the disclosed carbonated precast concrete is made of sieved fine aggregate with 100% passing No. 8 (2.36 mm) and removed with particle 100% passing No. 100 sieve (0.15 mm opening).

[0079] In the context of the present disclosure, the expression “no more than Y% accumulated mass retained on No. X sieve” implies that, for a given mass of aggregate (e.g., 1 kg) no more than Y% of that mass will be retained on the No. X sieve. For instance, saying “no more than 10% accumulated mass retained on No. 8 sieve (2.36 mm opening)” means that for one kilogram of aggregate, no more than 100 grams of that aggregate will be retained on the No. 8 sieve; the remaining 900 grams of the aggregate will pass through openings of the No. 8 sieve.

[0080] Additionally, the disclosed carbonated precast concrete is made of fine aggregate with varying density. In one embodiment, the disclosed carbonated precast concrete is made of normal-weight aggregate, with dry rodded density in the range of 1100-1850 kg / m3. In another embodiment, the disclosed carbonated precast concrete is made of lightweight aggregate, with dry rodded density less than about 1100 kg / m3. In a further embodiment, the disclosed carbonated precast concrete is made of heavyweight aggregate, with dry rodded density greater than 2100 kg / m3, respectively.

[0081] The “dry rodded density” used herein refers to a mass per unit volume of dry aggregate, which includes the volume of the particles and the voids between the particles, compacted by rodding. Rodding compaction is a process by which a compaction force is applied to the aggregate to increase particle to particle contact and decrease the volume of the voids between those particles.

[0082] In addition, the disclosed carbonated precast concrete is made of fine aggregate from different sources. In one embodiment, the disclosed carbonated precast is made of natural origin, such as sand. In another embodiment, the disclosed carbonated precast is made of manufactured aggregate from natural origin, such as crushed stone fine, expanded perlite, expanded shale, and so on. In a further embodiment, the disclosed carbonated precast is made of manufactured aggregate from recycled sources, such as crushed glass, crushed air-cooled granulated blast furnace slag, crushed construction and demolition waste (recycled concrete, brick, and stone rubble), and so on. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the disclosed carbonated precast concrete is made of a combination of the above-mentioned aggregates in terms of their particle size, and / or source, and / or density. In some embodiments, some slag is used as a binder whereas some other slag is used as an aggregate. A difference between slag as a binder and slag as an aggregate pertains mainly the particle size; slag as aggregate is usually much coarser than the slag as binder. In some cases, slag as a binder may differ from slag as an aggregate by their chemical compositions and reactivity to carbon dioxide or water; to make a slag as a binder, it has to be ground sufficiently fine and it has to have the compounds to react with carbon dioxide or water to harden. In one embodiment, particles of slag as used as a binder are finer than 0.8 mm whereas particles of slag as used as an aggregate have afineness of greater than 0.8 mm (i.e. they are coarser than 0.8 mm). Therefore, if the aggregate includes particles of slag, these particles of slag are coarser than 0.8 mm.

[0083] Additionally, the disclosed fine aggregate can be of natural, or manufactured, or recycled origin. Furthermore, the described fine aggregate may be normal weight, or lightweight, or heavy weight according to its density. The described fine aggregate can also be a combination of a plurality of the above-mentioned aggregates in terms of their particle size, and / or source, and / or density. Thus, the aggregate may have many portions by mass, each of these portions may include particles having a respective density, fineness, and origin. The disclosed carbonated precast concrete may have the advantage of requiring at least 50% less conditioning time than regular carbonated precast concrete. In addition, the disclosed carbonated precast concrete may have greater CO2 uptake, strength, and durability than regular carbonated precast concrete.

[0084] Herein, the expression “finer than X mm”, where “X” is a numerical value, means that a particle of the aggregate has passed or is capable of passing through a sieve with a nominal aperture size of “X” mm, by following the sieve analysis method instructed by ASTM C136 (Standard Test Method for Sieve Analysis of Fine and Coarse Aggregates). For instance, if a particle of the aggregate is finer than about 2.36 mm, it implies that this particle has passed (or is capable of passing) though a sieve with a nominal aperture size of 2.36 mm by following the ASTM C136 method. Similarly, the expression “coarser than Y mm”, where “Y” is a numerical value, means that a particle of the aggregate has retained on sieve with nominal aperture size larger than and equal to “Y” mm by following the ASTM C136 method.Binder, Water, and Additives

[0085] After the aggregate suitable for manufacturing the disclosed carbonated precast concrete is determined, attention is turned to other raw materials of the mixture. These raw materials include binders, water and additives (e.g., chemical admixtures).

[0086] The binder(s) suitable for manufacturing the disclosed carbonated precast concrete should be reactive towards carbon dioxide.

[0087] The binder(s) suitable for manufacturing the disclosed carbonated precast concrete may be any or a combination of cementitious and supplementary cementitious binders, which are termed conventional “binders” in this disclosure. The conventional binders are the ones currently accepted for normal (non-carbonated) precast concrete production. These binders may include: ordinary Portland cement (OPC), high alumina cement, white cement, calcium sulfoaluminate cement, magnesium cement, hydrated lime, supplementary cementitious materials including ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), fly ash, bottom ash, and natural and calcined pozzolanic materials, and OPC blended with limestone or supplementary cementitious materials.

[0088] The binder(s) suitable for manufacturing the disclosed carbonated precast concrete may include emerging binders, which have weak or no hydraulic activity and also have not been recognized as supplementary cementitious materials. The main characteristics of the emerging binders are low cost and low carbon footprint, because they are either derived from waste sources or manufactured with less energy consumption and CO2 emission than conventional cementitious binders. These binders include: belite cement, wollastonite, steel slag, bottom ash from municipal solid waste incineration, and so on.

[0089] The binder(s) suitable for manufacturing the disclosed carbonated precast concrete may include any combination of conventional binders and / or emerging binders. Preferably, the binder that is suitable for manufacturing the disclosed carbonated precast concrete contains at least 10% by weight emerging binders. More preferably, the binder that is suitable for manufacturing the disclosed carbonated precast concrete contains at least 25% by weight emerging binders. More preferably, the binder that is suitable for manufacturing the disclosed carbonated precast concrete contains at least 50% by weight emerging binders. More preferably, the binder that is suitable for manufacturing the disclosed carbonated precast concrete contains at least 75% by weight emerging binders. More preferably, the binder that is suitable for manufacturing the disclosed carbonated precast concrete contains 100% by weight emerging binders.

[0090] As shown in the examples below, steel slag may be used herein as the sole component of a binder for carbonated precast concrete production. “Steel slag” herein refers to the slag by-product produced from making steel. Steel slag may include slag produced from Basic Oxygen Furnaces (BOF), also known as slag from the Linz-Donawitz (LD) process, or LD slag. Steel slag may also include slag produced from Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF). Steel slag as used herein may further include ladle slag, which is produced as a by-product from a ladle refining operation. Steel slag as used herein may further include stainless steel slag generated from stainless steel production, which is mainly generated from the argon oxygen decarburization (AOD) and / or ladle metallurgy (LM) process. In addition, steel slag can be a combination of above slags. For example, “EBH slag” as used herein refers to EAF-BOF Hybrid, which is a type of steel slag formed of a mixture of EAF and BOF produced slags.

[0091] In other words, “slag” herein refers to the slag by-product produced from making steel and / or stainless steel. Steel slag may include slag produced from Basic Oxygen Furnaces (BOF). Steel slag may also include slag produced from Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF). Steel slag as used herein may further include ladle slag. It will be understood that “steel slag” as used herein excludes iron slag and blast furnace slag that are typically generated during iron production and that may be used in making cement, such as pozzolanic slag. Stainless steel slags are a by product of stainless steel production.

[0092] “Ladle slag” herein refers to a type of steel slag. Ladle slag is produced as a by-product from a ladle refining operation. In various steel making processes, molten steel produced in an EAF or BOF process undergoes an additional refining processes based on the quality of the desired steel. Additional fluxes and alloys are added to a ladle to remove the impurities within the steel and to produce steel with the desired properties. The reaction takes place in the presence of a slag in which the most significant oxides are SiO2, AI2O3, CaO, and MgO. This operation is known as ladle refining, because it is executed in the transfer ladle. During this process, additional steel slags are generated, which are ladle slags. It has been observed that the chemical compositions of ladle slag which are linked to the grade of the steel produced are highly variable and different from the chemical compositions of BOF and EAF steel slags. It has been observed that ladleslag shows higher aluminum oxide content and lower iron oxide content as compared to BOF and EAF steel slags. Generally, ladle slags exhibit a calcium oxide to silica oxide ratio of about 2.

[0093] “EBH slag” herein refers to EAF-BOF-Ladle Hybrid, which is a type of steel slag formed of a mixture of EAF and BOF and ladle produced slags.

[0094] In one embodiment, the steel slag used herein has a cumulative calcium silicate content (ex: CS + C2S + C3S phase concentration) of at least about 15% by weight. In one embodiment, the steel slag used herein has a cumulative calcium silicate content (ex: CS + C2S + C3S phase concentration) of at least about 20% by weight. In one embodiment, the steel slag used herein has a cumulative calcium silicate content (ex: CS + C2S + C3S phase concentration) of at least about 30% by weight. In one embodiment, the steel slag used herein has a cumulative calcium silicate content (ex: CS + C2S + C3S phase concentration) of at least about 40% by weight. In one embodiment, the steel slag used herein has a SiC>2 content of at least about 6% or more preferably at least about 15% by weight.

[0095] The steel slag may include a mixture of coarse slag pieces and fine slag pieces. Coarse slag pieces may have a Blaine fineness less than about 50 m2 / kg and fine slag pieces may have a Blaine fineness greater than about 50 m2 / kg. The coarse slag pieces, the fine slag pieces, or both may be land-filled as an outcome from typical steel making process. Received steel slag originating from waste (such as land-fill and / or industrial waste) may optionally be refined. Refining the steel slag may include filtering the received steel slag to separate fine slag pieces from coarse slag pieces. Alternatively, or additionally, refining the received steel slag may also include pulverizing the steel slag to a fine powder. In some exemplary embodiments, the filtered fine pieces are pulverized while coarser pieces are not pulverized. For example, for EAF steel slag, the slag may be pulverized to a Blaine fineness of at least 50 m2 / kg, and preferably about 180 m2 / kg. For example, for EBH steel slag (mix of EAF and BOF and ladle slag), the slag may be pulverized to a Blaine fineness of at least 100 m2 / kg and preferably about 240 m2 / kg. In other exemplary embodiments, the steel slag may be pulverized to a finer size. In another example, at least fifty percent of ground slag may be smaller than 100 microns, and atleast ten percent of ground slag may be smaller than 50 microns, i.e. , D(50) < 100 microns, and D(10) < 50 microns.

[0096] It will be understood that “steel slag” as used herein excludes iron slag and blast furnace slag that are typically generated during iron production and that may be used in making cement, such as pozzolanic slag.

[0097] Any potable water is suitable for the production of the disclosed carbonated precast concrete. The addition amount of water should be controlled to the minimum value for a desired workability of concrete mixture, for the considerations of reducing conditioning time and also achieving the desired concrete density with the available manufacturing tools.

[0098] Additives that are suitable for manufacturing the disclosed carbonated precast concrete include any or a combination of the following: air entraining admixture, water reducing admixture, water repellent admixture, accelerating admixture, retarding admixture, rheology modifier, efflorescence control admixture, foaming agent, alkali silica reaction inhibitor, shrinkage reducer, corrosion inhibiting admixture, pigment, mineral admixture, reinforcing fiber, polymer, and so on. The dosages of the additives used to manufacture the disclosed carbonated precast concrete follow the general rules which are known for people with ordinary skill in the art.

[0099] In some embodiments, the providing of the composition includes providing the composition including one or more chemical admixture and / or one or more mineral. The chemical admixture includes, for instance, an accelerator, a retarder, a viscosity modifying agent, an air entertainer, a foaming agent, an alkali silica reaction inhibitor, an anti-wash- out, a corrosion inhibitor, a shrinkage reducer, a concrete crack reducer, a plasticizer, a super plasticizer, a sealer, a paint, a coating, a water reducer, a water repellant, an efflorescence controller, a polymer powder, a polymer latex, and a workability retainer. The mixing of the composition at 202 may include mixing the composition with one or more of cellulose fibers, glass fibers, micro synthetic fibers, natural fibers, polypropylene fibers, polyvinyl alcohol fibers, and steel fibers.

[0100] In some embodiments, the method 300 includes mixing the water, the aggregate, and the binder including steel slag. In some embodiments, the method 300 includes mixing the water, the aggregate, and the binder having a binder content being from 8% to 50% by weight of the concrete mixture. In embodiments, the binder is devoid of cement. The binder may consist of steel slag.

[0101] In the context of the present disclosure, the expressions “binder” and “cement” have different meaning. A cement, such as Ordinary Portland Cement, is a kind of binder. A cement may be considered a binder, but not all binders are cements.

[0102] In the embodiment shown, the method 300 includes mixing of the composition including the binder includes mixing the composition being free of another binder. In other words, only the binder that meets the MM ratio of at least 0.5 are to be used in the composition. Alternatively, one or more second binder can be used. Preferably, a ratio of a mass of the binder to a sum of the mass of the binder plus a mass of the one or more second binder being at least 80%. Put differently, the binder that meets the MM ratio of at least 0.5 constitute at least 80% by weight of the total weight of binder used.Mixture & Forming

[0103] In the embodiment shown, the step 306 of the mixing of the binder, the aggregate, and the water to produce the concrete mixture includes producing a wet mixture having a mixture water-to-binder ratio. The mixing of the binder, the aggregate, and the water to produce the concrete mixture at 306 includes, for instance, producing a dry mixture having a different mixture water-to-binder ratio. Generally, the content binder in the mixture varies from 8% to 50%, in accordance with the binder type and also the application of carbonated precast concrete. The water-to-binder ratio may be about 0.15- 0.50. There are many suitable ways to perform the mixing of the concrete mixture, for example with a pan mixer.

[0104] Herein, the imparting of the form to the concrete mixture at 308 includes casting the concrete mixture in a mould to provide a moulded intermediate. The method 300 of the present embodiment includes a step of demoulding the moulded intermediate to provide a demolded intermediate. In some embodiments, the carbon curing of the formedintermediate at 310 includes curing the formed intermediate while the formed intermediate is still in the mould. Alternatively, the carbon curing at 310 can include curing the demolded intermediate.

[0105] At step 308, in some embodiments, the imparting of the form to the concrete mixture includes forming and consolidating the concrete mixture under compaction and vibration to provide the formed intermediate. In some embodiments, the imparting of the form includes transferring the freshly prepared concrete mixture by any appropriate means and casting in a prepared mould. The mould is made, for instance, of steel, iron, aluminum, plastic, FRP or another material. The mould may be pre-lubricated prior to casting in order to facilitate the demoulding process. If using a wet mix, it can be consolidated within the mould by internal or external vibrators. In some cases, the consolidation step lasts no more than 120 seconds. Dry cast concrete may be compacted / pressed / pressurized / formed into the mould by compaction and or vibration. The imparting of the form at 306 includes, for instance, casting the concrete mixture in a shape of a precast, a concrete pipe, a box culvert, a draining product, a paving slab, a floor slab, a traffic barrier, a wall manhole, a retaining wall, a paver, a tile, or a shingle.

[0106] In some embodiments, the method 300 includes demoulding the formed intermediate before the carbon curing of step 310. The method may include conditioning the formed intermediate until a water-to-binder ratio, which corresponds to a first water- to-binder ratio after the imparting of the form at 308, reaches a second water-to-binder ratio lower than the first water-to-binder ratio. In embodiments, after the conditioning step, the conditioned intermediate is demolded to provide a demolded conditioned intermediate. This demolded conditioned intermediate may then go through the carbon curing step at 310.

[0107] In some embodiments, the method 300 includes inserting a reinforcing material inside the mould before the casting of the concrete mixture. The inserting of the reinforcing material may include inserting bars made of the reinforcing material, the reinforcing material including one or more of carbon steel, stainless steel, and fiber reinforced polymer.

[0108] In some embodiments, the water-to-binder ratio before the conditioning is about 0.2 with normal aggregates and from 0.07 to 0.1 with finer aggregates as described herein. The water-to-binder ratio may be about 0.15 before the conditioning. Thus, in such cases, the finer aggregates result in having to extract less moisture from the intermediate. This may, in turn, reduce a time of the condition step. Other water-to-binder ratios are contemplated depending of the binders and aggregates being used.

[0109] After a homogeneous mixture with a desired workability is obtained following the step 306 of mixing the binder, aggregate, and water, the mixture may be emptied from the mixer and then transported to the molding place. In embodiments, the step 308 of imparting a form to the concrete mixture requires an amount of the mixture to be cast into a mould with pre-set dimensions and shape, followed with being leveled. Consolidation is then conducted to condense precast concrete mixture in the mold to the required thickness or height. Consolidation may be achieved through the known ways, such as any or a combination of vibration, compaction and compression.

[0110] In embodiments, after molding is completed, the consolidated precast concrete is taken out of the mould or demolded immediately if it is rigid enough. Otherwise, the consolidated precast concrete is required to be maintained in the mold for a period generally less than 24 hours. This may be referred to as a pre-curing step. This process may help the consolidated precast concrete to obtain sufficient green strength before being demolded. It happens when a wet concrete mixture is used for precast concrete forming. Pre-curing, if required, may be conducted at room temperature. It can also be accelerated at elevated temperature.

[0111] In some embodiments, the mixing of the binder, the aggregate, and the water includes mixing the binder, the aggregate, and the water to obtain a water-to-binder ratio of from 0.15 to 0.5.Conditioning

[0112] Although the conditioning step may start when the consolidated precast concrete remains in the mould, it can alternatively occur after the formed intermediate has been demolded. In some embodiments, this step is conducted at room conditions with atemperature of 15-28 °C and a relative humidity of 20-60%. In some embodiments, the conditioning is assisted with a forced air circulation by the fan 17. Other known ways of reducing the moisture, e.g. heat, can be alternatively used during the conditioning step. Alternatively, in other embodiments, no forced air circulation is used during the conditioning step, if energy saving is preferred and a longer time for conditioning is acceptable. This conditioning step may help to reduce the moisture content of precast concrete through water evaporation. The released moisture leaves numerous pores inside the consolidated precast concrete, which can allow to achieve a desired CO2 uptake and a uniform carbonation throughout the whole precast concrete product.

[0113] The duration of the conditioning step may be determined by the desired extent of initial water or moisture loss from the consolidated precast concrete, which is affected by the dimension and initial water-to-binder ratio of precast concrete, and other variables. As a general rule of thumb, for a precast concrete with a thickness of 30 mm or greater, an initial water loss of 20-80% (by mass) may be required for the conditioned precast concrete to achieve satisfactory CO2 uptake and strength as well as 100% CO2 penetration, if carbonation curing is required to be completed in hours instead of days.

[0114] The degree of CO2 penetration can be visually determined by spraying phenolphthalein indicator onto the whole cross section of carbonated precast concrete after it is broken by strength testing. The percentage of the area without pink color against the whole cross area is estimated as degree of CO2 penetration. For example, a 100% CO2 penetration is obtained if no pink color is observed in the tested cross section area, while a 50% CO2 penetration is obtained if pink color occupies a half of the tested cross section area.

[0115] Due to the use of finer aggregate disclosed herein, the conditioning time required for manufacturing the disclosed carbonated precast concrete may be significantly decreased. As shown in the examples described below, carbonated precast concrete made of finer aggregate disclosed herein may need a conditioning time only 0.25 hour, instead of a conditioning time of 1 hour required for precast concrete with regular-size aggregate. For predetermined binder content and water-to-binder ratio, precast concrete with coarser aggregate would have a thicker layer of paste to cover each aggregateparticle and also possibly more paste agglomerating among the pores between aggregate particles. By reducing the particle size of fine aggregates, the increased surface area of aggregate particles would need more paste to cover. This may help to reduce the thickness of paste coverage for each aggregate particle, and also reduce the tendency of paste agglomeration in the pores. As a result of this paste thinning effect, CO2 gas may penetrate to the reaction site more easily, and also the formed calcite may precipitate more easily as well during the carbonation curing process. Therefore, a shorter conditioning time may be possible for manufacturing carbonated precast concrete made of finer aggregates disclosed herein.

[0116] In some embodiments, the conditioning of the formed intermediate includes conditioning the formed intermediate at a temperature ranging from 15°C to 28 °C and with a relative humidity ranging from 30% to 60%. In some embodiments, the conditioning of the formed intermediate includes conditioning the formed intermediate until from 20% to 80% by weight of the water is evaporated. In some embodiments, the conditioning of the formed intermediate includes exposing the formed intermediate to a forced air flow.

[0117] The conditioning time is a function of the size or volume of the concrete product. Longer conditioning time is needed for a thicker or larger concrete product. The conditioning time for a determined concrete product may be reduced by at least 50% with the suggested aggregate. Another factor influencing the conditioning time is the velocity of the air flow when forced drying is used, the relative humidity of the environment in which the intermediate is being conditioned, the temperature of this environment, and the microstructures (capillaries and pores) of the intermediate.Carbonation curing

[0118] After the forming step at 308, the formed intermediate goes through the carbon curing step at 310. In embodiments, carbon dioxide gas, which may have a purity ranging from 5% to 99.9%, is used for carbonated precast concrete production. In embodiments, the pressure of carbon dioxide gas is adjusted to from 0 MPa to 0.827 MPa (0-120 psi) during the carbonation curing process which may last from 5 minutes up to 72 hours at around 20-80°C temperature and 20-90% relative humidity. Carbonation curing may be carried out in a sealed enclosure with CO2 introduced either as a steady gas or as acontinuously-circulated gas. In the present embodiment, the pressure of the gas containing carbon dioxide is at most about 15 PSI, preferably from about 2 PSI to about 7 PSI.

[0119] In some embodiments, the curing of the conditioned intermediate includes exposing the formed intermediate to the gas containing carbon dioxide at a pressure ranging from 0 psi to 120 psi. In some embodiments, the curing of the conditioned intermediate includes curing the conditioned intermediate for from 5 minutes to 72 hours. In some embodiments, the curing of the conditioned intermediate includes curing the conditioned intermediate at a temperature ranging from 20°C to 80°C. In some embodiments, the curing of the conditioned intermediate includes curing the conditioned intermediate at a relative humidity ranging from 30% to 90%.Hydration

[0120] For carbonated precast concrete made of binders with hydraulic activity such as OPC, hydration curing is optionally implemented to help carbonated precast concrete achieving full strength. During the hydration curing, carbonated precast concrete products are stored in humid environment for 1 day or longer following the general procedure known in the industry.Moisturizing

[0121] In some embodiments, the carbonated precast concrete is moisturized. This moisturizing step may include, for example, submerging the cured intermediate in water; spraying the cured intermediate with water; and / or misting the cured intermediate with water. In certain embodiments, therefore, the cured intermediate is moisturized by being soaked in tap water or water saturated with hydrated lime for a period not longer than 24 hours, or by being sprinkled, sprayed and / or misted with tap water. In certain embodiments, this moisturizing is performed for period of time from 0.5 to 48 hours. The preferred moisture content increase for the moisturized carbonated precast concrete is 0.5% by weight or higher. There can be a delay of up to 24 hours between the proposed moisturizing step and the followed post-hardening treatment. Such a moisturizing step can be advantageous for carbonated precast concrete made of a binder with hydraulic activity.Optionally, water used for soaking / spraying can contain minerals / chemicals like efflorescence reducer admixture or water repellent. Alternatively, carbonated precast concrete can be surrounded by water vapour during the post-hardening treatment.

[0122] At step 310, a carbon curing is performed to obtain the concrete product. In some embodiments, the carbonation reaction between calcium-rich materials and carbon dioxide occurs once calcium leached from the material and CO2 are dissolved in water. In a concrete sample, the carbonation reaction generally happens at a specified pore saturation. Once the pores are filled with water and the saturation rate is at or near 100%, there is little to no carbonation reaction. This observation is also valid when there is no water in the pore, or where the pore saturation is zero percent. The optimum pore saturation, or in simpler terms, the moisture content of the mix, results in the highest carbonation reaction rate. Diverging from the optimum moisture content may lead to a lower carbonation reaction and lower concrete performance.

[0123] In some embodiments, the concrete product is wet or moisturized. In some embodiments, the carbonated precast concrete is soaked in tap water or water saturated with hydrated lime for a period not longer than 24 hours, or by being sprinkled with tap water. The preferred moisture content increase for the moisturized carbonated precast concrete is 0.5% by weight or higher, for example at least 0.55 %, at least 0.6 %, at least 0.65 %, at least 0.7 %, or at least 0.75 %. There can be a delay of up to 24 hours between the optional wetting / moisturizing step and the followed post-hardening treatment. The described wetting or moisturizing step can be advantageous for carbonated precast concrete made of a binder with hydraulic activity. Optionally, water used for soaking / spraying can contain minerals / chemicals like efflorescence reducer admixture or water repellent. Alternatively, carbonated precast concrete can be surrounded by water vapour during the post-hardening treatment. Therefore, in some embodiments the steps of moisturizing and curing overlap or occur concurrently.

[0124] In some embodiments, during the water absorption testing, carbonated precast concrete is immersed in water for 24 hours and then oven-dried for not less than 24 hours at 100-115 °C.Machine Learning

[0125] Referring to Fig. 4, a system for determining manufacturing parameters to be used in the method 300 of Fig. 3 is shown at 400. More specifically, environments in which the concrete products are being manufactured may have an impact on performance metrics of the products. For instance, the freeze-thaw resistance, the abrasion resistance, the compressive strength and so on may vary from product to product as a function of the manufacturing environment. Manufacturing concrete in a location that is hot and humid may require different manufacturing parameters than in a cold and dry environment. In embodiments, the system 400 is used to determine the appropriate manufacturing parameters for a wide range of conditions.

[0126] The system 400 includes environment and mixture parameters 402 to feed a trained model 404 to generate manufacturing parameters 406 for the method 300 of Fig. 3. Therefore, in embodiments, the concrete product manufactured with the method 300 of Fig. 3 and with the manufacturing parameters 406 meets desired performance metrics 408. The trained model 404 is trained with historical data 410 of previously manufactured concrete products for which testing has been carried on to determine their performance metrics.

[0127] In the context of the present disclosure, the environment and mixture parameters 402 include environment parameters and mixture parameters. The environment parameters include one or more of a temperature of an environment where the concrete product is being manufactured, a relative humidity of the environment, and an atmospheric pressure of the environment. The mixture parameters include one or more of what kind of binder is being used (e.g. the chemical composition), the fineness of the binder, weight proportions of each binders if more than one binder is being used, the kind of aggregate (e.g. the chemical composition), the fineness of the aggregate, weight proportions of each aggregates if more than one aggregate is being used, the use or not of an admixture, the kind of admixture being used (e.g. the chemical composition), and so on. The conditioning parameters include, for instance, one or more of the temperature inside the chamber, the relative humidity inside the chamber, the pressure inside the chamber, the time duration, and the speed of a forced air flow inside the chamber.

[0128] The manufacturing parameters include composition parameters regarding a composition including the aggregate, the binder, the water, and, in some cases, the admixture, conditioning parameters regarding parameters used for conditioning the composition prior to or during the curing, and curing parameters regarding parameters used for curing the composition. The composition parameters may include one or more of a water to binder ratio by weight, an aggregate to binder ratio by weight, an admixture to binder ratio by weight, and so on. The conditioning parameters include, for instance, the use or not of a conditioning step, the time duration of the conditioning step, the temperature of an environment in which the conditioning step occurs, the pressure of the environment in which the conditioning step occurs, the relative humidity of this environment, the use or not of a forced air flow during the conditioning, a speed of an air flow around the product being conditioned, any variations of any of the above parameters during the time duration of the conditioning step, and so on. The curing parameter may include one or more of the time duration of the curing step, the temperature of an environment in which the curing step occurs, the pressure of the environment in which the curing step occurs, the relative humidity of this environment, the use or not of a forced gas flow during the curing, a speed of an gas flow around the product being cured, a concentration in CO2 of the gas used for the curing step, a pressure of the gas containing CO2 in the curing chamber (e.g., 110A) during the curing step, any variations of any of the above parameters during the time duration of the curing step, and so on. The curing parameters include, for instance, one or more of the time duration, the temperature inside the chamber, the pressure inside the chamber, the relative humidity inside the chamber, the speed of a forced gas flow inside the chamber, the CO2 concentration, and the pressure of the gas containing CO2.

[0129] Referring to Fig. 5, in embodiments, the trained model 404 is trained using the historical data 410 of a plurality of manufactured concrete products. A suitable type of (e.g., classification) trained model may be constructed according to example embodiments of the present disclosure. For instance, a random forest (RF) model and / or a neural network (NN) model can be constructed. In some embodiments, non-linear regression with orwithout regularization is used. In some embodiments, one or more of gradient boost machine, artificial neural network, self-organizing maps, and / or deep learning are used.

[0130] In the present embodiment, the trained model 404 is trained using one or more supervised learning algorithms. Such supervised learning algorithm(s) may build a mathematical model of a set of data that contains both the inputs and the desired outputs. The data is known as training data, and consists of a set of training examples (e.g., data sets). Each training example has one or more inputs and the desired output, also known as a supervisory signal. In the mathematical model, each training example is represented by an array or vector, sometimes called a feature vector, and the training data is represented by a matrix. Through iterative optimization of an objective function, the supervised learning algorithm(s) may learn a function that can be used to predict the output associated with new inputs. An optimal function may allow the algorithm to correctly determine the output for inputs that were not a part of the training data. An algorithm that improves the accuracy of its outputs or predictions over time is said to have learned to perform that task.

[0131] Types of supervised-learning algorithms include active learning, classification and regression. Classification algorithms are used when the outputs are restricted to a limited set of values, and regression algorithms are used when the outputs may have any numerical value within a range. In the present case, a suitable classification algorithm may be used to output a suitable class label (e.g., one of four possible class labels) for the parameters used. In some embodiments, the trained model 404 performs a multi-label classification task using a suitable classification algorithm. For example, the manufacturing parameters 406 outputted by the trained model 404 is a suitable class label assigned to the environment and mixture parameters 402 and the desired performance metrics 408 (i.e., the input). For example, based on these parameters 402 and metrics 408, the trained model 404 assigns manufacturing parameters 406 to be used to obtain the concrete product meeting the performance metrics 408 when subjected to the environment and mixture parameters 402.

[0132] The trained model 404 is trained using the historical data 410, which may also be referred to as “training data”. As shown in Fig. 5, the historical data 410 includes a plurality of data sets identified as DS1 , DS2 and DSN and each including one or more values that are labelled “Value 1”, “Value 2”, ..., “Value Z” in Fig. 5. The values contained in the historical data 410 may characterize the concrete products in term of theirperformance metrics as a function of the environment and mixture parameters and the manufacturing parameters used to obtain these concrete products.

[0133] The historical data 410 is then fed into the trained model 404 that will “learn” to output the manufacturing parameters 406 based on the environment and mixture parameters 402 and the desired performance metrics 408 inputted into the trained model 404 during use. In embodiments, a suitable number of data sets DS1 , DS2 and DSN is selected based on the type of trained model 404 used and the number of values used in each data set DS1 , DS2 and DSN for example.

[0134] In some embodiments, the trained model 404 is able to generate the manufacturing parameters 406 that optimizes the conversion of carbon dioxide into a solid calcium carbonate for use in CO2 containing concrete products. In embodiments, the system 400 receives input data related to at least one carbonation enclosure and / or at least one gas management system and / or at least one source of CO2, at least one concentration of CO2 and / or at least one composite mixture containing a binder of steel slag, water and at least one aggregate; utilizing a machine learning algorithm executed by a processor to analyze said input data; generating, based on the analysis, control signals and / or data to adjust systems and parameters associated to said carbonation enclosure and / or said gas management system and / or said source of CO2 and / or said concentration of CO2 and / or said composite mixture for optimization; and transmitting said control signals to a control system to implement adjustments to systems and parameters associated to said carbonation enclosure and / or said gas management system and / or said source of CO2 and / or said CO2 concentration and / or said composite mixture for optimization.

[0135] In some embodiments, the machine learning algorithm is trained on a dataset comprising historical data associated to said carbonation enclosure and / or said gas management system and / or said source of CO2 and / or said CO2 concentration and / or said composite mixture and / or performance metrics associated to said carbonation enclosure and / or said gas management system and / or said source of CO2 and / or said CO2 concentration and / or said composite mixture.

[0136] Some embodiments further comprise updating the machine learning algorithm based on real-time feedback from systems and parameters associated to said carbonation enclosure and / or said gas management system and / or said source of CO2 and / or said CO2 concentration and / or said composite mixture, wherein the feedback includes performance data and / or user-defined criteria.

[0137] In some embodiments, the system 400 is adapted to optimize the carbonation of CO2 containing construction materials comprising a data input module configured to receive input data related to systems and parameters associated to at least one carbonation enclosure and / or at least one gas management system and / or at least one source of CO2 and / or at least one composite mixture containing a binder of steel slag, water and at least one aggregate; a processor configured to execute a machine learning algorithm to analyze said input data and generate control signals and / or optimization data; a control system configured to receive and implement said control signals and / or optimization data to adjust systems and parameters associated to at least one carbonation enclosure and / or at least one gas management system and / or at least one source of CO2 and / or said CO2 concentration and / or at least one composite mixture for optimization.

[0138] In some embodiments, the machine learning algorithm is further configured to adaptively learn and update at least one parameter and / or system based on feedback from systems and parameters associated to at least one carbonation enclosure and / or at least one gas management system and / or at least one source of CO2 and / or said CO2 concentration and / or at least one composite mixture.

[0139] In some embodiments, the controller 180 acts as a data logger to record data any of the sensors used in the system 100. These data are used, for instance, to feed the historical data 410.

[0140] Referring now to Fig. 6, a method of manufacturing a concrete product is shown at 600. The method 600 includes obtaining environment and mixture parameters and desired performance metrics of the concrete product, the environment and mixture parameters representative of an environment in which the concrete product is manufactured and representative of characteristics of constituents of a mixture to produce the concrete product at 602; determining manufacturing parameters from a trained modelto obtain the concrete product meeting the desired performance metrics, the trained model being trained using machine learning and historical data relating performance metrics data of concrete products to both of environment and mixture parameters data and manufacturing parameters data at 604; and manufacturing the concrete products using the manufacturing parameters determined from the trained model at 606.

[0141] In embodiments, the performance metrics 408 include one or more of a compressive strength, a freeze-thaw resistance, an abrasion resistance, a flexural strength, a modular elasticity, thermal properties, sound transmission, shear strength, fire resistance, to name a few.

[0142] In some embodiments, the gas management system 130 is configured to obtain environment parameters meeting the desired performance metrics to produce a concrete of the method 600.

[0143] In some embodiments, the gas management system 130 is operatively configured by controller 180 to obtain environment parameters meeting the desired performance metrics to produce a concrete of the method 600.Curing method

[0144] With reference to Fig. 7, there is shown at 700 an exemplary method of curing a concrete product, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. At 702, a gas is flowed from a source of gas to a first enclosure containing a first concrete product. At 704, the first concrete product is cured with the gas in the first enclosure. At 706, subsequently to the curing, a quantity of remaining gas in the first enclosure is determined. At 708, it is detected that that the quantity of remaining gas is greater than a minimum threshold required to at least partially perform an additional curing process. At 710, the remaining gas from the first enclosure is flowed to a second enclosure containing a second concrete product for curing the second concrete product in the second enclosure.Computing device

[0145] With reference to Fig. 8, an example of a computing device 800 is illustrated. For simplicity only one computing device 800 is shown but the system may include morecomputing devices 800 operable to exchange data. The computing devices 800 may be the same or different types of devices. The controller 180 may be implemented with one or more computing devices 800.

[0146] The computing device 800 comprises a processing unit 802 and a memory 804 which has stored therein computer-executable instructions 806. The processing unit 802 may comprise any suitable devices configured to implement the method 300, 600, 700 such that instructions 806, when executed by the computing device 800 or other programmable apparatus, may cause the functions / acts / steps performed as part of the method 300, 600, 700 as described herein to be executed. The processing unit 802 may comprise, for example, any type of general-purpose microprocessor or microcontroller, a digital signal processing (DSP) processor, a central processing unit (CPU), an integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a reconfigurable processor, other suitably programmed or programmable logic circuits, or any combination thereof.

[0147] The memory 804 may comprise any suitable known or other machine-readable storage medium. The memory 804 may comprise non-transitory computer readable storage medium, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The memory 804 may include a suitable combination of any type of computer memory that is located either internally or externally to device, for example random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), compact disc readonly memory (CDROM), electro-optical memory, magneto-optical memory, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), and electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), Ferroelectric RAM (FRAM) or the like. Memory 804 may comprise any storage means (e.g., devices) suitable for retrievably storing machine- readable instructions 806 executable by processing unit 802.

[0148] The methods and systems for manufacturing a concrete product described herein may be implemented in a high level procedural or object oriented programming or scripting language, or a combination thereof, to communicate with or assist in the operation of a computer system, for example the computing device 800. Alternatively, the methods and systems for manufacturing a concrete product may be implemented in assembly or machine language. The language may be a compiled or interpreted language.Program code for implementing the methods and systems for manufacturing a concrete product may be stored on a storage media or a device, for example a ROM, a magnetic disk, an optical disc, a flash drive, or any other suitable storage media or device. The program code may be readable by a general or special-purpose programmable computer for configuring and operating the computer when the storage media or device is read by the computer to perform the procedures described herein. Embodiments of the methods and systems for manufacturing a concrete product may also be considered to be implemented by way of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon. The computer program may comprise computer- readable instructions which cause a computer, or more specifically the processing unit 802 of the computing device 800, to operate in a specific and predefined manner to perform the functions described herein, for example those described in the method 300, 600, 700.

[0149] Computer-executable instructions may be in many forms, including program modules, executed by one or more computers or other devices. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Typically the functionality of the program modules may be combined or distributed as desired in various embodiments.

[0150] The embodiments described herein are implemented by physical computer hardware, including computing devices, servers, receivers, transmitters, processors, memory, displays, and networks. The embodiments described herein provide useful physical machines and particularly configured computer hardware arrangements. The embodiments described herein are directed to electronic machines and methods implemented by electronic machines adapted for processing and transforming electromagnetic signals which represent various types of information. The embodiments described herein pervasively and integrally relate to machines, and their uses; and the embodiments described herein have no meaning or practical applicability outside their use with computer hardware, machines, and various hardware components. Substituting the physical hardware particularly configured to implement various acts for non-physical hardware, using mental steps for example, may substantially affect the way theembodiments work. Such computer hardware limitations are clearly essential elements of the embodiments described herein, and they cannot be omitted or substituted for mental means without having a material effect on the operation and structure of the embodiments described herein. The computer hardware is essential to implement the various embodiments described herein and is not merely used to perform steps expeditiously and in an efficient manner.

[0151] The term “connected” or "coupled to" may include both direct coupling (in which two elements that are coupled to each other contact each other) and indirect coupling (in which at least one additional element is located between the two elements).

[0152] The technical solution of embodiments may be in the form of a software product. The software product may be stored in a non-volatile or non-transitory storage medium, which can be a compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), a USB flash disk, or a removable hard disk. The software product includes a number of instructions that enable a computer device (personal computer, server, or network device) to execute the methods provided by the embodiments.

[0153] It is noted that various connections are set forth between elements in the preceding description and in the drawings. It is noted that these connections are general and, unless specified otherwise, may be direct or indirect and that this specification is not intended to be limiting in this respect. A coupling between two or more entities may refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection. An indirect connection may incorporate one or more intervening entities. The term “connected” or "coupled to" may therefore include both direct coupling (in which two elements that are coupled to each other contact each other) and indirect coupling (in which at least one additional element is located between the two elements).

[0154] It is further noted that various method or process steps for embodiments of the present disclosure are described in the preceding description and drawings. The description may present the method and / or process steps as a particular sequence. However, to the extent that the method or process does not rely on the particular order of steps set forth herein, the method or process should not be limited to the particular sequence of steps described. As one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate, othersequences of steps may be possible. Therefore, the particular order of the steps set forth in the description should not be construed as a limitation.

[0155] Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. As used herein, the terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0156] While various aspects of the present disclosure have been disclosed, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the present disclosure as described herein includes several aspects and embodiments that include particular features. Although these particular features may be described individually, it is within the scope of the present disclosure that some or all of these features may be combined with any one of the aspects and remain within the scope of the present disclosure. References to “various embodiments,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. The use of the indefinite article “a” as used herein with reference to a particular element is intended to encompass “one or more” such elements, and similarly the use of the definite article “the” in reference to a particular element is not intended to exclude the possibility that multiple of such elements may be present.

[0157] The expression “about” in the present disclosure implies variations of plus or minus 10%.

[0158] The embodiments described in this document provide non-limiting examples of possible implementations of the present technology. Upon review of the present disclosure, a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that changes may be madeto the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope of the present technology. Yet further modifications could be implemented by a person of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure, which modifications would be within the scope of the present technology.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A curing system for manufacturing a concrete product, comprising: a source of gas; a plurality of enclosures, each of the plurality of enclosures in fluid communication with the source of the gas and at least one other of the plurality of enclosures, each of the plurality of enclosures receiving the gas from the source and / or from the at least one other of the plurality of enclosures for curing the concrete product; and a gas management system including a controller configured to regulate a flow of the gas from the source to the plurality of enclosures and the flow of gas from each of the plurality of enclosures to the at least one other of the plurality of enclosures.

2. The curing system as defined in claim 1 , wherein the flow of gas from one of the plurality of enclosures is used to purge the at least one other of the plurality of enclosures.

3. The curing system as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the plurality of enclosures includes one or more of a flow meter, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a gas concentration sensor, and a pressure sensor operatively coupled to the controller.

4. The curing system as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a fluid conduit between each of the plurality of enclosures and the at least one other of the plurality of enclosures, the fluid conduit including a flow rate modifier operatively connected to the controller and adapted to vary a flow rate through the fluid conduit.

5. The curing system as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the controller is configured to control one or more of a flow rate, pressure, temperature, humidity and concentration of the flow of gas.

6. The curing system as defined in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the controller is configured to obtain environmental parameters of the system and control the flow of gas based on the obtained environmental parameters.

7. The curing system as defined in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the gas is CO2.

8. The curing system as defined in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the concrete product manufactured by the curing system comprises: a composition including a binder, water, and an aggregate, the binder having an MM ratio greater than or equal to 0.5; wherein the MM ratio is defined as: a mass in kilograms (kg) of carbon dioxide captured per unit of mass of the binder, divided by a quantity of energy in kilowatt hours (kWh) used to obtain the binder, per the unit of mass of the binder.

9. The curing system as defined in claim 8, wherein the binder is steel slag and / or stainless steel slag.

10. A method for curing a concrete product, comprising: flowing a gas from a source of the gas to a first enclosure containing a first concrete product; curing the first concrete product with the gas in the first enclosure; subsequently to the curing, determining a quantity of remaining gas in the first enclosure; detecting that the quantity of remaining gas is greater than a minimum threshold required to at least partially perform an additional curing process; and flowing the remaining gas from the first enclosure to a second enclosure containing a second concrete product for curing the second concrete product in the second enclosure.

11. The method as defined in claim 10, further comprising selectively opening and closing a gas flow path between the first enclosure and the second enclosure.

12. The method as defined in claim 10 or 11 , wherein determining the quantity of remaining gas in the first enclosure includes measuring a concentration of gas in the first enclosure.

13. The method as defined in any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein determining a quantity of remaining gas in the first enclosure includes measuring a flow rate of the remaining gas in the first enclosure exiting the first enclosure.

14. The method as defined in any one of claims 10 to 13, further comprising flowing an additional quantity of gas from the source of gas to the second enclosure to combine with the remaining gas from the first enclosure.

15. The method as defined in any one of claims 10 to 14, further comprising purging the second enclosure with the remaining gas from the first enclosure.

16. The method as defined in any one of claims 10 to 15, further comprising flowing the remaining gas in the first enclosure to at least one additional enclosure.

17. The method as defined in any one of claims 10 to 16, further comprising: providing the concrete product for curing, the concrete product formed of a composition including a binder, water, and an aggregate, the binder having an MM ratio greater than or equal to 0.5; wherein the MM ratio is defined as: a mass in kilograms (kg) of carbon dioxide captured per unit of mass of the binder, divided by a quantity of energy in kilowatt hours (kWh) used to obtain the binder, per the unit of mass of the binder.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, further comprising using steel slag and / or stainless steel slag as the binder.

19. A method for managing gas during manufacturing of a concrete product, the method comprising: obtaining environmental and mixture parameters and desired performance metrics of the concrete product, the environmental and mixture parameters representative of an environment in which the concrete product is manufactured and representative of characteristics of constituents of a mixture to produce the concrete product; determining manufacturing parameters from a trained model to obtain the concrete product meeting the desired performance metrics, the trained model being trained using machine learning and historical data relating performance metrics data of concrete products to both of the environmental and mixture parameters data and the manufacturing parameters; and controlling at least one gas management systems to manufacture the concrete products using the manufacturing parameters determined from the trained model.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the environmental parameters comprise at least one of temperature, pressure and / or humidity.

21. The method of claim 19 or 20, wherein the manufacturing parameters comprise at least one of conditioning parameters, and curing parameters, composition parameters.

22. The method of any one of claims 19 to 21 , wherein the conditioning parameters comprise at least one of a time duration of a conditioning step, a conditioning temperature, a conditioning pressure and / or a conditioning relative humidity.

23. The method of any one of claims 19 to 22, wherein the manufacturing parameters comprise at least one of a curing time duration of a curing step, a curing temperature, a curing pressure, a curing relative humidity, a concentration in CO2 of a gas used for the curing step, a pressure of the gas containing CO2.

24. The method of any one of claims 19 to 23, wherein the mixture parameters comprise at least one of a water to binder ratio by weight, and / or an aggregate to binder ratio by weight.

25. The method of any one of claims 19 to 24, further comprising: providing the mixture for the concrete product, the mixture comprising a binder, water, and an aggregate, the binder having an MM ratio greater than or equal to 0.5; wherein the MM ratio is defined as: a mass in kilograms (kg) of carbon dioxide captured per unit of mass of the binder, divided by a quantity of energy in kilowatt hours (kWh) used to obtain the binder, per the unit of mass of the binder.

26. The method as defined in claim 25, further comprising using steel slag and / or stainless steel slag as the binder in the mixture.

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