Hopes CO2-infused recycled concrete will help builders cut emissions

November 30, 2023 3:23 PM

Hopes CO2-infused recycled concrete will help builders cut emissions. A Western Sydney University professor says her invention is as strong as new concrete, cheaper, and has the potential to help the construction sector become significantly greener.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries (12 comments total)

Since I understand that the Hoover Dam is still in taking CO2 from its construction; it can’t hurt.
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:47 PM on November 30, 2023

Sounds amazing if it's for real. In the article they say builders generally don't take the risk of using recycled concrete vs new concrete because it's seen as not as strong.
posted by subdee at 4:44 PM on November 30, 2023

'Coocrete,' surely.
posted by snuffleupagus at 4:45 PM on November 30, 2023 [1 favorite]

I was listening to this on our local NPR and they had a researcher in the field who was like (he was a lot more polite), 'this is basically green-washing and really expensive on a per unit basis and hasn't shown the ability to scale...how about...trees?'
posted by Reasonably Everything Happens at 5:16 PM on November 30, 2023 [6 favorites]

'You shouldn't build new buildings if you can refurbish or renovate existing buildings'
This is the most accurate part of that article. We wouldn't have such a problem with concrete if we stopped demolishing perfectly good buildings.
posted by dg at 6:34 PM on November 30, 2023 [4 favorites]

In some cases they aren't perfectly good buildings any more, though structurally sound office buildings when we need more housing...
posted by freethefeet at 6:57 PM on November 30, 2023

I trust this stuff isn't related to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 12:13 AM on December 1, 2023 [1 favorite]

... honestly ever month there's a 'new!' 'improved!' concrete additive (graphene sounds promising! Or coffee grounds!)

I'm here for it, but when we pour a new foundation next summer, will these be on offer?
posted by From Bklyn at 1:58 AM on December 1, 2023 [1 favorite]

Before we all throw our caps in the air and dance for joy, it looks like the reduction in cement content made possible by CO₂ injection is roughly 5%. Which is something, to be sure, but it's going to need to be one of many more somethings if emissions from concrete construction are ever going to be anything like under control.
posted by flabdablet at 4:39 AM on December 1, 2023 [2 favorites]

Agreeing with Cardinal Fang: please let's test the fuck out of any new concrete formulations and techniques before commiting to them.

And I can't see that there are net benefits if we continue to build buildings whose useful life is seldom more than 30 to 50 years, intentionally, or because of shoddy/defective materials and techniques. A building that lasts a century is more efficient in just about every way than rebuilding it two or three times in the same century.
posted by Artful Codger at 8:51 AM on December 1, 2023 [2 favorites]

It is as @flabdablet says: this is at best nibbling at the edges of the problem. Great if it works but not something that changes any calculations about what the larger economy needs to do to start turning things around.
posted by Aardvark Cheeselog at 3:27 PM on December 1, 2023

Nibbling at the edges of problems can work; ask any mouse.

And for as long as our individual reproductive choices continue to make us act like a global mouse plague, we're obviously going to need all the nibbling we can get.
posted by flabdablet at 10:40 PM on December 1, 2023