Guanshu LI

Conducted product development activities covering Lafarge cement plants in China with objective to optimize the product portfolio and product quality, and to reduce the manufacturing cost:
• Accomplishment of a number of quickwin missions consisting in identifying industrial levers, defining industrial trials, implementing and following up the recommendations in the plants. Measurement of the KPIs on improvement of clinker reactivity, increase of cementitious materials (cement/clinker ratio), and reduction in cement manufacturing cost.
• New product development by optimizing clinker reactivity, cement design and grinding process in cooperation with Business units (marketing, sales people and plant technical teams) to analyze the need of customers and market demand. Technical advisor for product development steering committee of marketing department.
• Technical assistance to customers for key technical issues on cement and concrete products. Training sessions on product development and quality control for Lafarge technical, marketing and sales people.
• Representation of Lafarge in China National Cement Standardization Technical Committee in order to prepare the standard evolution, anticipate the impact on industrial production.

Leading Asia Regional Laboratory with 12 staff to provide analytical support for technical assistance:
• Responsible for team building, investment follow-up, operating cost control, and coordination with Technical Center, Business units and plant teams.
• Guarantee of the analytical reliability, improvement of the laboratory efficiency and development of new techniques to reply to the technical needs. Member of Lafarge worldwide Laboratory Network and responsible for editing and implementing Lafarge Quality Technical Standards (LQTS).
• Construction of Lafarge new Asia Regional Laboratory at high technical level.

Building Lafarge scientific network in China:
• Identification of the relevant research institutes/universities/teams in China in relation with Lafarge RD activities. Exploration and assessment of the cooperation with key research players.
• Preparation and organization in July 2011 of an international symposium with China Ceramic Society and Tsinghua University.

• Conducted the research project on cement-cementitious-admixture interactions in concrete over a wide range of curing temperatures. Organized research activities on component interactions in ready mix concrete to improve performance. Clarified the effect of key cement parameters and the interactions with admixtures at different temperatures. Proposed practical solutions to improve the robustness of concrete.
• Initiated and led a research project on high-belite sulfoaluminate cement, aimed at reducing CO2 emissions in cement manufacture. Drew up scientific roadmap to improve the reactivity, and evaluated initial technical and industrial feasibility. One patent filed, prototype developed, pilot trials achieved.
• Led a research program aimed at optimizing the use of fly ash in cement and concrete. Studied the effect of fly ash parameters on the usage qualities of cement and concrete (workability, strengths, interactions with chemical admixtures, durability, etc.). Built a database and “toolkit”, and transferred it to the cement and concrete business units.
• Contributed to a number of research projects/programs covering the use of slag, chemical gypsums, ultra low clinker concrete, durability of Ductal, etc.
• Built a scientific and technical network in China to support the Group’s industrial development. Possible collaborations were explored. Two long term collaborations concluded.

• Conducted the development of industrial calcium sulfoaluminate cements. Coordinated the project with the industrial partner. Transferred the production technology, evaluated the cement making feasibility, studied the admixture issue and proposed potential applications.
• Conducted the development of new binders based on anhydrite manufactured from synthetic gypsum for use in plaster and as a self-leveling flooring material. Oriented industrial feasibility supported by industrial partners. One patent filed, prototype developed.
• Consultant with expertise in cement and cement-based materials, on projects such as: Durability of ultra-high performance concrete (Ductal?), use of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash as aggregates in concrete, activation of slag and fly ash in cementitous system, durability of concrete, etc.

With the industrial partners, led a research team to resolve the problem of cement-superplasticizer incompatibilities in high performance concrete. Proposed suitable cement-superplasticizer combinations and developed means to improve the quality of superplasticizers.

Worked with the French nuclear company CEA on the sulfate resistance of concrete for nuclear waste storage. Proposed a degradation model. Worked with SOLLAC to develop polymer concrete molds for automobile industry.

Taught undergraduate courses on cement chemistry. Conducted part of research work on the use of silica fume in high performance concrete