Is Zero-Emission Cement The Future Of Building? What Study Says

Concrete, the backbone of our buildings and infrastructure, faces a sustainability challenge due to its reliance on cement, a major carbon emitter. However, a new study by researchers at the University of Cambridge offers a glimmer of hope. 

This innovative technique utilises electric arc furnaces, traditionally used for steel recycling, to not only recycle steel but also recover valuable cement from demolished buildings. This "reactivated cement" significantly reduces the environmental impact of the entire process. Scientists estimate that by 2050, this method could potentially save billions of tonnes of carbon emissions.

The study, published in Nature, offers a potential game-changer for the construction industry, paving the way for a greener future for the built environment.

"An absolute miracle" is how Professor Julian Allwood, who led the research, describes the breakthrough. This approach addresses two crucial aspects of sustainable construction: reducing reliance on virgin materials and minimising the carbon footprint.

The study's findings offer a potential game-changer for the construction industry. By utilising recycled materials and clean energy sources, concrete production could become significantly more eco-friendly. This innovation paves the way for a greener future for the built environment.

According to a release by the University of Cambridge, concrete is the second-most-used material on the planet, after water, and is responsible for approximately 7.5% of total anthropogenic CO2 emissions. A scalable, cost-effective way of reducing concrete emissions while meeting global demand is one of the world's biggest decarbonisation challenges.

The Cambridge researchers found that used cement is an effective substitute for lime flux, which is used in steel recycling to remove impurities and normally ends up as a waste product known as slag. But by replacing lime with used cement, the end product is recycled cement that can be used to make new concrete.

The cement recycling method developed by the Cambridge researchers, reported in the journal Nature, does not add any significant costs to concrete or steel production and significantly reduces emissions from both concrete and steel due to the reduced need for lime flux.