Researchers in Japan have created a cement-free soil solidifier from recycled glass and construction waste, reducing landfill and carbon emissions.
Producing cement, the key ingredient of concrete, generates around 2.5 billion tonnes of CO2 every year – about 8% of the global total.
When producing clinker – a precursor to cement – the calcining process converts calcium carbonate to calcium oxide, releasing carbon dioxide. In addition, the reaction itself takes place at close to 1,400°C, which requires burning large quantities of fossil fuel.
Portland cement remains one of the most effective building materials but because of its significant environmental impact, researchers are looking for alternatives.
A team from the College of Engineering at the Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT) in Japan, have developed a sustainable alternative to Portland cement: a high-performance geopolymer-based soil solidifier developed from siding cut powder (SCP), a construction waste by-product, and earth...