Construction materials could store carbon in homes and buildings, helping the climate

Climate change is no longer a looming distant threat. It’s here now, and it’s affecting everything, from the weather we experience to the air we breathe. But what if the solution to this colossal issue lay right beneath our noses, or to be precise, in the construction materials in our own homes?

It sounds far-fetched, right? Well, a recent study begs to differ.

Turning construction into climate solutions

“Could common construction materials, the very ones we use to build our homes and roads, hold the key to mitigating climate change?”

This is the question posed by a new environmentally-conscious research study conducted by scientists at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), and Stanford University.

Elisabeth Van Roijen, who led the study as a graduate student at UC Davis, asks, “What if, instead, we can leverage materials that we already produce in large quantities to store carbon?”

The massive potential of everyday building materials, such as concrete, asphalt, plastics, and brick, to store away carbon dioxide (CO2) was explored in this study.

Carbon sequestration, the process undertaken to achieve this, aims to capture and convert CO2 into a stable form and store it where it cannot contribute to climate change.

There, it lies dormant, locked away, not exacerbating our warming world.

Common goods used for climate good

Concrete, a construction material already produced in massive quantities, was found to have a significant potential for carbon storage to address climate change.

That’s not surprising, considering over 20 billion tons of concrete are produced every year.

Add to that, the sheer scale of global concrete use makes any viable carbon storage solution involving it incredibly impactful.

Bio-based plastics were also identified as promising, capable of absorbing a large amount of carbon by weight.

The research also explored into other carbon-storing approaches, such as introducing biomass fiber into bricks, and using artificial rocks loaded with carbon as concrete and asphalt pavement aggregate.

Understanding concrete — the basics

Making concrete is simpler than you might think. It all starts with mixing four main ingredients: cement, water, sand, and gravel.

Cement acts like the glue that holds everything together. You pour the cement into a big container, add water to create a paste, and then mix in sand and gravel.

This combination creates a thick, pourable mixture that you can shape into whatever you need, whether it’s a sidewalk, a driveway, or the foundation of a house. The water reacts with the cement, starting a chemical process that makes the mixture harden over time.

Integrating biomass into the concrete-making process is a fantastic way to make construction more sustainable and reduce our environmental footprint.

One common method is by adding natural fibers, such as hemp, flax, or bamboo, to the concrete mix. These fibers act as a reinforcement, similar to how steel rebar works, but with the added benefits of being renewable and biodegradable.

By mixing these plant-based materials into the concrete, we can enhance its strength and durability while also cutting down on the use of traditional, energy-intensive materials.

Waste not, want not

Beyond the direct environmental benefits of carbon sequestration in construction materials, there’s another climate-related aspect well worth discussing.

The raw materials required for these carbon capture processes typically comprise low-value waste materials like biomass, enhancing their value and promoting a circular economy.

Ready, set, apply!

The readiness of the technology involved in these carbon-storing methods ranges across the board.

While some are at the investigation or pilot scale, others are primed and ready for adoption.

There’s no denying that more technology development is needed, especially in areas where material performance and net-storage potential of individual manufacturing methods need validation.

But, this research seems to suggest, we’re off to a good start.

In doing so, this study makes a profound point. When it comes to climate change, the tools we need to fight it might just be lying around us, waiting to be used in innovative ways.

A few tweaks to our familiar construction materials, and our homes and cities might transform from mere dwellers to climate heroes.

Climate-friendly construction materials

While the potential of using construction materials for carbon sequestration is promising, scaling this vision to a global level comes with its challenges.

One significant hurdle is the energy-intensive nature of manufacturing materials like concrete and plastics, which already contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

To make a meaningful impact, researchers emphasize the need for integrating renewable energy sources into the production processes.

Furthermore, the adoption of these innovative materials requires collaboration across industries, from policymakers creating incentives for sustainable practices to construction companies rethinking traditional methods.

Public awareness is another critical piece of the puzzle – educating communities and stakeholders on the dual benefits of these materials could drive widespread acceptance and implementation.

Despite these challenges, the opportunities are immense. Transforming construction into a carbon-negative industry could turn cities into massive carbon storage hubs, helping to offset emissions from other sectors.

As the study highlights, with continued innovation and collaboration, the tools to combat climate change may already be within reach, embedded in the construction materials of our built environment.

The full study was published in the journal Science.

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