Making Concrete More Environmentally Friendly

Water is the only substance in the world that is used more than concrete.  Concrete is the material that is used to construct most of the buildings in our cities, highways, bridges, and great entertainment venues like football stadiums and theaters.  It is readily available and made from abundant resources found locally.  Concrete has a long life-span and can be recycled once a building or other structure outlives its usefulness.  The industry provides millions of jobs right here in America.   

An article from the Smithsonian.com reports that in 2010, the world produced 3.6 billion tons of cement and that figure is only expected to go higher in the future.  So the only problem with concrete is that in the process of producing cement, which is an essential ingredient in concrete, it sends carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere. 

The making of cement involves heating a mix of limestone and other minerals in large kilns at temperatures over 2700 degrees F with fossil fuels to run the kilns.  Scientists estimate that the production of cement ends up creating 5% of the human-generated carbon dioxide (CO2) believed to contribute to global warming.  

Obviously we are not going to stop using concrete and there is a lot of research being done to come up with solutions.  Furthermore we must factor in concrete’s sustainability to mitigate the environmental impact. 

In terms of research, one recent study from the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen reports successfully making stronger cement out of waste ash.  Waste ash is a by-product from sugar production.  The research indicates that “the ash helps to bind water in the cement so that it is stronger, can withstand higher pressure and crumbles less.  At the same time, energy is saved and pollution from cement production is reduced.”

*Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Building-a-Better-World-With-Green-Cement.html#ixzz2jzJBadNX

from @SmithsonianMag on Twitter

*Taken from an article from the University of Copenhagen - Niels Bohr Institute (2013, September 16). Environmentally friendly cement is stronger than ordinary cement.

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