Concrete is the second plus matter consumed by man after water. The ever increasing human desire for growth has led us to use more and more concrete to build more and more structures, such as buildings, dams, bridges, etc.

Not only does concrete production contribute to global warming, but three of the four main ingredients used in concrete production – water, sand and gravel – are also valuable natural resources. While the production of the other ingredient – cement – is just as destructive and requires the extraction of limestone.

Over the past century, humans have used so much concrete that the combined mass of all concrete in the world wins by far the mass of all plants on the planet. By some estimates, concrete accounts for more than eight percent of global carbon emissions in the world. Despite being one of the most carbon-intensive industries in the world, the demand for concrete is increasing year by year.

As countries around the world seek ways to reduce their carbon footprints, reducing the environmental impacts of using concrete is critical.

New search a team of scientists from MIT’s Concrete Sustainability Hub may finally have a solution. In an article published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers describe ways to minimize emissions from concrete.

The paper suggests an in-depth lifecycle assessment of the construction industry to estimate how greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies could minimize total emissions each year, and find out how those reductions would compare to national targets. greenhouse gas emissions.

The researchers found that reduction strategies could lead to a reduction in emissions from pavement and building construction by 65% ​​and 57%, respectively, between the years 2016 and 2050. This despite the continued increase in demand. of concrete.

The researchers added that the unique attributes of concrete can influence the durability and long-term performance of the systems in which they are used. Pavements constructed of concrete can improve the energy efficiency of vehicles, while structures constructed of concrete can withstand natural disasters without the need for energy and material-intensive repairs.

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