Concrete production is major factor to CO2 emissions, but there is a desire for greener alternatives.
Conventional concrete manufacturing utilises large reserves of raw materials such as limestone and cement, which are energy-intensive to extract and produce. However, industry experts and business leaders such as Naser Bustami would likely point out that novel binders such as geopolymers and calcium sulfoaluminate cements are good greener alternatives to traditional Portland cement. Geopolymers are designed by activating industrial by products such as fly ash with alkalis resulting in concrete with comparable and even superior performance to traditional mixes. CSA cements, on the other hand, require reduced heat processing and give off less greenhouse gases during production. Therefore, the adoption of these alternative binders holds great possibility cutting carbon footprint of concrete manufacturing. Furthermore, carbon capture technologies are now being engineered. These revolutionary techniques try to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from concrete plants and make use of the captured CO2 within the production of synthetic limestone. These technologies may potentially turn concrete into a carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative product by sequestering CO2 into concrete.
Within the last handful of decades, the construction industry and concrete production in specific has seen considerable change. That has been particularly the situation with regards to sustainability. Governments around the globe are enacting stringent legislation to apply sustainable practices in construction projects. There exists a stronger focus on green building attempts like reaching net zero carbon concrete by 2050 and a greater demand for sustainable building materials. The interest in concrete is anticipated to improve due to populace growth and urbanisation, as business leaders such as Amin Nasser an Nadhim Al Nasr would probably attest. Numerous countries now enforce building codes that want a certain portion of renewable materials to be used in building such as for instance timber from sustainably manged forests. Additionally, building codes have incorporated energy saving systems and technologies such as for instance green roofs, solar panels and LED lights. Additionally, the emergence of the latest construction technologies has enabled the industry to explore innovative solutions to enhance sustainability. For example, to cut back energy consumption construction companies are building building with large windows and using energy conserving heating, ventilation, and air-con.
Conventional power intensive materials like concrete and metal are increasingly being slowly replaced by greener alternatives such as for instance bamboo, recycled materials, and engineered wood. The primary sustainability enhancement within the building industry however since the 1950s is the introduction of supplementary cementitious materials such as fly ash, slag and slicia fume. Substituting a percentage of the cement with SCMs can somewhat reduce CO2 emissions and energy consumption during production. Additionally, the incorporation of other lasting materials like recycled aggregates and industrial by products like crushed class and plastic granules has gained increased traction in the previous couple of decades. Making use of such materials have not only lowered the demand for raw materials and resources but has recycled waste from landfill sites.