Since leaving the caves, humans have had to build houses and buildings that allow them to be indoors. The problem is that over time, construction activity is impacting our most important home, the earth. Today, cement production accounts for a tenth of his annual human carbon footprint. Reducing this carbon footprint could therefore be an important step forward in the fight against global warming. At UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), we are already working on it and developing a model to make this possible. Their goal is to create what they call “green” concrete. CO2 concrete, using carbon dioxide emitted from the cement industry and other types of factories. How do they accomplish this? By substituting another ingredient for the Portland cement normally used to mix concrete.
Cement, sand, stone, and chemical additives are usually used to mix concrete. The role of cement is to give the mixture its consistency and the ability to solidify. What the UCLA researchers did is use Portlandite, a rich mineral. Calcium hydroxideIt absorbs carbon dioxide and produces limestone, one of the ingredients used to make cement. The solidification process of this material is similar to that observed in mollusk shells.
The team was able to complete the process within hours. This is a very important factor for industrial production. They also point to a 50-70% less reduction in carbon footprint. Last but not least, this is achieved at a price and performance comparable to conventional concrete. A new affordable and sustainable concrete.
Thanks to the public funding received, UCLA was already able to produce 100 tons of CO2Concrete within three months. The resulting concrete will be used for a university campus construction project and the surplus will be donated to other projects.
A new, more sustainable type of concrete
CO2Concrete participates in numerous innovative technology projects that are creating new types of more environmentally friendly concrete. So, earlier I talked about concrete mixed with carrots and beets, and a new type of concrete made from desert sand. In addition to this, there are also efforts to promote recycling in construction. All these new processes and improved materials result in more sustainable construction that follows circular economy principles.
To learn more about green construction strategies, check out our recent article dedicated to India’s Living Bridges. These structures are based on age-old techniques that some architects are reviving within the new field of Baubotanik.
sauce: construction dive
