5/15/2023 0 Comments Does concrete absorb water![]() The changes Velay-Lizancos’ team proposes would result in more than a slight change. The staggering amount of concrete used across the world today-in bridges, in roads and infrastructure, in buildings and monuments, dams and pipe systems-means that any slight improvement in the carbon footprint of concrete could add up to massive effects worldwide. We’re not trying to change the way we use concrete we’re making the concrete work for us.” “My team is making the concrete itself absorb carbon dioxide faster and in greater volumes. “We can’t wait decades for concrete to absorb the carbon dioxide produced in its manufacturing process,” Velay-Lizancos said. Traditional concrete naturally absorbs carbon dioxide - just not very much and not very quickly. Manufacturing concrete is an energy and resource-intensive process. Modern concrete needs to be strong, durable, economical, and as sustainable as possible. The concrete in Roman aqueducts needed to carry millions of gallons of water. The concrete in the Pyramids needed to stand up to heat and wind. Since then, it has changed to suit civilizations’ evolving needs and available materials. Concrete, a variable mixture of water, cement paste, and aggregates such as sand and gravel, was invented millennia ago. Velay-Lizancos studies concrete and works to make it a more sustainable building material. A YouTube video of the work is available. The study recently appeared in the scientific journal Construction and Building Materials. The team discovered that adding only small amounts of nano-titanium dioxide nearly doubles concrete’s absorption of the problematic greenhouse gas. Marian Velay Lizancos and her students are developing concrete that can sequester carbon dioxide more successfully and efficiently than traditional mixes.
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