The race to transform the global concrete market to be greener
The race to transform the global concrete market to be greener
If concrete were a country, it would be the third largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the world after China and the United States! This is not surprising considering that it is the second most used substance in the world after water, and it produces approximately 8% of greenhouse gas emissions; Therefore, reducing carbon emissions resulting from concrete is essential to achieving the United Nations goals of net zero emissions.
TheGlobal Cement and Concrete Association“GCCA” has set a goal of achieving net zero emissions by the year 2050, and this is by searching for new clean technologies, and laying a basis for expanding reliance on these technologies, given the continuous decline in the level of research and development in the cement and concrete industry in recent years, despite the significant increase in investments in this vital sector.
Construction industries contributed about 38% of direct global greenhouse gas emissions, compared to 23% from the transportation industry; Despite this, the value of investments in climate and environment-related projects in the construction industries reached only $2 billion in 2022, which is less than a fifth of the amount pumped into the transportation industry to transform it into sustainability.
Governments are increasingly adopting policies to impose reliance on “green concrete,” which, when combined with a real commitment from this industrial sector, could constitute a sustainable path towards investment in cement and concrete, as it also leads to massive economic development.
Changing concrete components
Cement, a major component of concrete, is available in various forms, the most common of which are: Portland clinker, gypsum, supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), and others. Portland clinker represents more than 98% of concrete production worldwide today, and there are several reasons for this, including: Clinker is considered a relatively inexpensive component and can be relied upon to produce high-quality concrete.
So that you do not get confused, concrete consists of several components, the most important of which is: cement, and cement consists of several components, the largest percentage of which is clinker, but there are also types of cement that do not contain clinker at all, or small percentages of it; To reduce the carbon footprint resulting from clinker production operations in cement factory kilns.
Emissions from limestone calcination processes to produce Portland clinker represent more than 50% of cement sector emissions, while another 40% come from burning fossil fuels, to heat cement kilns to high temperatures throughout the production process; Therefore, the nature of cement production requires it to release huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
An increasing number of companies are focusing on reducing the carbon footprint in the production process, by changing the components of concrete and cement. For example, Hoffman Green Cement Technologies, which was founded in France; Develops, manufactures and sells a new low-carbon, clinker-free cement with a carbon footprint six times lower than Portland cement. This unique type of green cement is made primarily from industrial by-products, such as steel mill slag.
Other innovative companies are seeking to capture carbon within concrete or directly capture carbon dioxide emitted during production. Perhaps the most prominent of these companies is CarbiCrete, a Canadian company that has developed a technology to produce concrete with a negative carbon footprint (the carbon entering the process is less than the carbon emitted from it).
While we have seen progress in the development of “green cement”, significant obstacles remain to its wider adoption, as consumers tend to be wary of less tried and tested products; Consequently, many “green cement” products did not achieve the expected acceptance, especially in a sector that prioritizes safety.
Replacing concrete with cleaner alternatives
Apart from modifying concrete components, innovative startups are working on creating concrete alternatives or different types of concrete, including Mighty Buildings, an American company that has developed a 3D printing machine that can create building structures from photopolymer resins (compounds that turn into polymers under the action of light).
These polymer composites are as strong as concrete, but 30% lighter, and have 5 times higher tensile and flexural strength; This results in a faster and more environmentally friendly construction process, with the ability to build advanced architectural designs that are impossible to create using traditional concrete.
Another company that has contributed to promoting 3D printing in construction is COBOD, which provides automation and robotics solutions, enabling the construction industry to improve printing speed and efficiency, and save labor needs and material costs.
As 3D printing technology gains momentum in the cement and construction industries, the greater cost of this revolutionary technology, compared to traditional construction methods, cannot be ignored, especially on large projects. In addition, limited materials are available that can be used for 3D printing, the strength and durability of printed parts can often be less than those built using traditional methods, and quality control, speed, and post-processing requirements can also be a challenge for printed parts.
Another alternative is bacteria-based bioconcrete, a technology that is still in the research and development stage, but shows promise as a sustainable, low-cost alternative to traditional concrete manufacturing processes. Bioconcrete uses microorganisms (bacteria) – harmless to humans – in its mixture, which can automatically repair any cracks in the concrete. Perhaps we will devote space to this unique technology in the upcoming issues.
Reinventing the concrete production process
Startups – and even giant technology companies – are using artificial intelligence to improve the concrete and cement construction process. To reduce carbon dioxide emissions, such as Meta (the parent company of Facebook), where the company developed a new method to produce concrete that emits 40% less carbon emissions than other standard mixes.
To do this, an artificial intelligence model was developed to find the ideal concrete mix. Meta researchers used data showing the different characteristics of 1,030 concrete mixes. This data includes the strength of each mix after a period of a week and a month, as well as its carbon footprint. The artificial intelligence was then able to analyze the data of all possible concrete mixtures, and find the mixtures that match the minimum required strength, but also have the lowest possible emissions.
Berlin-based Alcemy is a developer of predictive analysis software designed to assist cement and concrete manufacturers. The company’s software provides accurate predictions of the quality of different mixtures and the nature of their components, while at the same time enabling companies to produce more concrete using recycled components accurately and safely.
Time is running out to develop sustainable concrete
The coming years will be decisive in the issue of the use of concrete, as the increasing demand for it gradually shifts from existing markets to emerging markets, and development processes in a number of developing countries – such as India and Indonesia – will lead to an increase in demand for concrete around the world.
According to United Nations estimates, humanity will build another 230 billion square meters of land area in the next forty years, that is, more than double the current land area of the world’s buildings. This will come as many of the current concrete structures are approaching the end of their lifespan, which will generate the need to renovate or remove a large number of currently existing buildings. This is done by demolishing the buildings and replacing them, or even abandoning them altogether.
In view of these facts, there is an increasing need to intensify research and development operations in the concrete sector, and to market environmentally friendly and sustainable concrete, if we want to achieve the goal of “Net Zero Emissions” in this vital sector.
