Novel cement uses discarded clay to cut carbon footprint by two thirds

As a widely used material across the globe, cement has a massive environmental footprint and accounts for around eight percent of our CO2 emissions, but scientists hope to eat into this problem by making tweaks to the recipe. A research team has now co… Continue reading Novel cement uses discarded clay to cut carbon footprint by two thirds

Concrete microbiome could act as early warning system for collapse

Concrete may not seem like a particularly hospitable environment for life, but bacteria do actually live inside it. A new study led by the University of Delaware has examined this concrete microbiome to find out how they get there, how they change over… Continue reading Concrete microbiome could act as early warning system for collapse

World’s first unreinforced 3D-printed concrete bridge displayed in Venice

A first-of-its-kind 3D-printed concrete bridge has been unveiled in Venice, Italy. The bridge is a demonstration of a new 3D printing method resulting in a structure requiring no mortar or steel reinforcement.Continue ReadingCategory: Architecture, Lif… Continue reading World’s first unreinforced 3D-printed concrete bridge displayed in Venice

Durable concrete uses graphene particles to fend off water and cracks

As scientists work to shore up the strength and durability of concrete, it mightn’t come as a huge surprise that the wonder material graphene is proving to be a promising additive. As the world’s strongest artificial material, it may have a lot to offe… Continue reading Durable concrete uses graphene particles to fend off water and cracks

Self-healing concrete eats CO2 to fill its own cracks in 24 hours

Concrete has a massive carbon footprint, so technologies that boost its performance and enable it to last longer could have profound benefits for the environment. This has led to the development of self-healing concrete that can repair its own cracks, … Continue reading Self-healing concrete eats CO2 to fill its own cracks in 24 hours

Stanford’s low-carbon cement swaps limestone for volcanic rock

The notoriously large carbon footprint of cement production is a prime target for researchers looking to chip away at the problem of climate change, and we’ve seen how this could involve all kinds of tweaks to the recipe. Scientists at Stanford Univers… Continue reading Stanford’s low-carbon cement swaps limestone for volcanic rock

World’s first graphene-enhanced concrete slab poured in England

As the mostly widely used material on Earth, concrete has a massive carbon footprint that scientists are working to chip away at in all sorts of ways. Recent research projects have demonstrated how the wonder material graphene could play a role in this… Continue reading World’s first graphene-enhanced concrete slab poured in England

Food scraps recycled into materials stronger than concrete, yet edible

It sounds like the premise of a comedy sketch, but researchers at the Institute of Industrial Science at the University of Tokyo led by Yuya Sakai have developed a way to recycle food scraps into construction materials that are stronger than concrete, … Continue reading Food scraps recycled into materials stronger than concrete, yet edible