A new concrete manufacturing technique extracts carbon dioxide out of the air, or directly out of industrial exhaust pipes, and turns it into synthetic limestone.
With cement manufacturing responsible for 4% to 8% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, this breakthrough could be a significant development in the effort to reduce greenhouse gas. Consider that the pace of construction worldwide has been robust, particularly in China, in recent years. And, cement production worldwide could grow 23% by 2050.
Portland cement is made with limestone that is quarried and then heated to high temperatures, an energy-intensive process that releases huge amounts of carbon dioxide. The new technique, which has already been demonstrated in California, could not only slow the advance of climate change, but actually help to reverse it.
The inventor was inspired by how coral transform minerals in seawater to a shell-like substance. The “low-energy mineralization” technique he developed turns captured CO2 into calcium carbonate, the material synthesized by coral.
Related Stories
| Oct 13, 2011
New Law: California Building Standards Commission Must Include Green Expert
A new California law, AB 930, requires that one member of the California Building Standards Commission be “experienced and knowledgeable in sustainable building, design, construction, and operation.”
| Oct 13, 2011
AGC Urges Repeal of 3% Withholding On Government Contracts
The U.S. House of Representatives is planning a vote in October on a bill to repeal the 3% withholding requirement on all federal and state contracts for goods and services.
| Oct 13, 2011
House Bill Would Block New OSHA Regulations
Proposed riders in a U.S. House of Representatives spending bill would block the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from issuing controversial workplace safety and health regulations.
| Oct 11, 2011
AIA introduces five new documents for use on sustainable projects
These new documents will be available in the first quarter of 2012 as part of the new AIA Contract Documents service and AIA Documents on Demand.
| Oct 7, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: UL Environment releases industry-wide sustainability requirements for doors
ASSA ABLOY Trio-E door is the first to be certified to these sustainability requirements.
| Oct 6, 2011
Taking tenant behavior into account on building energy codes
Over the past few years, Seattle, San Francisco, Austin, and Washington, D.C., have passed laws requiring property owners to measure and disclose their energy use, which would help place a market value on a building’s efficiency and provide a benchmark for improvements.
| Oct 6, 2011
Constructed properly, green roofs hold up well in a hurricane
The heavy rains and high winds of Hurricane Irene didn’t cause any problems for a Con Edison green roof in New York City. The roof contains sedum, a plant that adapts well to drought and handles periods of heavy rain well.
| Oct 6, 2011
RoofPoint: A new green standard for roofs
Structured much like other rating systems, RoofPoint, establishes green standards specifically for roofs.
| Oct 6, 2011
Roofers critical of new OSHA harness rules
Roofers say a new OSHA rule requiring all residential roofers to wear a safety harness makes workers less safe, and is causing lost business for those who comply with the rule.
| Oct 6, 2011
Florida county proposes saving on construction costs by trumping city regulations
This summer, Pinellas County, FL wanted to save money on an $81 million public safety complex in Largo by using the county’s own building regulations and permit fees, not the city’s more expensive fees.