Researchers in Ecuador say cellular concrete is a sustainable and structurally resilient alternative to traditional concrete for earthquake-resistant buildings.
The construction industry significantly contributes to global energy consumption and carbon emissions. This is predominantly through the structural materials used, mostly cement and steel. The production of cement, the key ingredient of concrete, generates around 2.5 billion tonnes of CO2 every year – about 8% of the global total.
Finding viable alternative materials is challenging, not least in earthquake-prone areas.
A team of researchers in the faculty of sciences, engineering and construction at UTE University in Ecuador studied whether cellular lightweight concrete (CLC) offered both an environmentally friendly and earthquake resistant alternative to conventional concrete.
The study analysed the use of CLC for the construction of shear walls in a seven-storey archetype residential building in Ecuador’s capital city, Quito.
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