Among different construction materials, cement, just after water, is the second most used one. This huge demand over the decades has ended up in huge cement productions, namely more than four billion tonnes each year. At the same time, statistics illustrate that it is responsible for the emissions of nearly 8% of all carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It also worths mentioning that the demand is still increasing, perhaps owing to fast urbanization and growth of cities.
Considering undeniable impacts the cement industry has on the environment, many scientists and researchers all over the globe, are working on different remedies for the situation. This ranges from direct solutions such as using cement alternatives or partial replacements to indirect ones such as the design of concrete elements absorbing CO2, not only to help the environment but also to improve the elements mechanical performance over time. Research studies in this field range from nano-scale investigations, through quantum mechanical modelling to macro-scale experiments, through complicated full-scale tests.
This year, the significance of environmentally friendly cementitious materials has been emphasized by the World Economic Forum. Among 75 different scientific or technological fields, they chose “Low-Carbon cements” as one of the technological areas that can revolutionize the industry. As a person who is already interested in green cementitious materials, I believe that we should pay more attention to the subject, encourage more people, and finally, work together to level-off current upward trends of carbon dioxide emission caused by cement usage.
“Should the human being continue current trends of exploiting the planet, it will probably be destroyed in the next 100 years, said David Attenborough, the famous natural historian.”
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