‘ZeroCAL’ cement production process takes CO2 out of the equation

After a decade in the works, researchers at University of California, Los Angeles, have successfully devised a way to produce cement with 98% less CO2 emissions than traditional methods.Continue ReadingCategory: Materials, ScienceTags: Cement, Concrete… Continue reading ‘ZeroCAL’ cement production process takes CO2 out of the equation

Carbon-neutral granite-based concrete finds use in towering NYC skyscraper

A new type of carbon-neutral concrete has been commercially used for the first time, in a high-profile skyscraper being built in Manhattan. The binder utilized in the concrete is made of granite instead of traditional greenhouse-gas-emitting limestone … Continue reading Carbon-neutral granite-based concrete finds use in towering NYC skyscraper

Hollow concrete mimics human bones for 5x better toughness

A pair of Princeton engineers have developed a new kind of concrete that promises more than 5 times the damage resistance of the usual stuff, by poking holes in its structure.Continue ReadingCategory: Materials, ScienceTags: Concrete, Princeton Univers… Continue reading Hollow concrete mimics human bones for 5x better toughness

New greener building bricks made from demolished school and CO2

Back in 2021, researchers came up with a recipe for greener concrete that had building waste and CO2 among its ingredients. Now the same team has used rubble from a demolished school and the greenhouse gas to produce bricks to build new structures.Cont… Continue reading New greener building bricks made from demolished school and CO2

Carbon-capturing concrete alternative driven by photosynthesis

A new material tackles the carbon problem of concrete production and usage by employing a pretty unusual workforce: cyanobacteria. The bio-cement these micro-organisms help to produce harnesses a process that’s existed in nature for 3.5 billion years.C… Continue reading Carbon-capturing concrete alternative driven by photosynthesis

Super-strong coffee-reinforced concrete gets real-world test

Last year, researchers from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, found that replacing up to 15% of the sand ordinarily used in concrete with waste coffee grounds made it 30% stronger. It’s a case of killing two birds with one coffee bean: the produ… Continue reading Super-strong coffee-reinforced concrete gets real-world test

‘Absolute miracle’ breakthrough provides recipe for zero-carbon cement

Concrete and steel production are major sources of CO2 emissions, but a new solution from Cambridge could recycle both at the same time. Throwing old concrete into steel-processing furnaces not only purifies iron but produces “reactivated cement” as a … Continue reading ‘Absolute miracle’ breakthrough provides recipe for zero-carbon cement

Long-life low-carbon concrete switches 80% of its cement for coal ash

Coal ash is abundant around coal-fired power stations. In fact, that might be considerably understating things – globally, power stations produce around 1.2 billion tonnes annually, and in Australia coal ash accounts for nearly 20% of all waste. It’s a… Continue reading Long-life low-carbon concrete switches 80% of its cement for coal ash