[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/7352\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ECarrot cement: How root vegetables and ash could make concrete more sustainable\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter water, concrete is the most \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/cities\/2019\/feb\/25\/concrete-the-most-destructive-material-on-earth\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Ewidely-used substance\u003C\/a\u003E in the world. Producing cement, a key component of concrete,\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/reader.chathamhouse.org\/making-concrete-change-innovation-low-carbon-cement-and-concrete\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003E is responsible for about 8% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions\u003C\/a\u003E. It involves burning a lot of minerals, shells, shale and other components in kilns heated to about 1,400\u00b0C, where fossil fuels are typically used as an energy source, thus producing CO2 emissions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, producing clinker \u2013 small, solid lumps that are an intermediary product of cement \u2013 is the result of a high-temperature chemical reaction that is also energy intensive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The cement industry is working on decarbonising and lowering the footprint from fossil fuels,\u2019 said Dr Nikola To\u0161i\u0107, a researcher at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain. \u2018But the chemical part of carbon dioxide emissions is inevitable unless we come up with (completely) different types of cement.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022 class=\u0022@alignleft@\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022By replacing a portion of cement with industrial waste such as fly ash, researchers hope to make concrete more sustainable. Image credit - Nikola To\u0161i\u0107\u0022 height=\u00224000\u0022 src=\u0022\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/nt_3.jpg\u0022 title=\u0022By replacing a portion of cement with industrial waste such as fly ash, researchers hope to make concrete more sustainable. Image credit - Nikola To\u0161i\u0107\u0022 width=\u00226000\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003EBy replacing a portion of cement with industrial waste such as fly ash, researchers hope to make concrete more sustainable. Image credit - Nikola To\u0161i\u0107\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen cement is mixed with water, it forms a paste that binds together aggregates such as sand and crushed stone, allowing concrete to harden and giving it strength and structure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaking cement stronger so that less of it is needed is one strategy to reduce its environmental impact. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.lancaster.ac.uk\/sci-tech\/about-us\/people\/mohamed-saafi\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EProfessor Mohamed Saafi\u003C\/a\u003E from Lancaster University in the UK and his colleagues are aiming to achieve this goal as part of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/799658\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EB-SMART project\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECement needs to be combined with water so it adheres to sand and crushed rock and binds them together. However, not all cement particles become hydrated during the process. \u2018Most of them remain essentially sitting there doing nothing which is a waste,\u2019 said Prof. Saafi. \u2018If we can amplify this hydration mechanism, its strength will increase significantly and therefore we can use less cement.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u2018The chemical part of carbon dioxide emissions is inevitable unless we come up with (completely) different types of cement.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EDr Nikola To\u0161i\u0107, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERoot vegetables\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProf. Saafi and his team turned to root vegetables for help. They investigated whether waste material from carrots processed to make baby food, or leftovers from beet sugar extraction could be added to cement to strengthen it. By using computer simulations, they were able to see how super-thin sheets made from these vegetables and thrown into the cement paste would interact with cement, looking at their effect on both the hydration of cement and its resulting mechanical properties. Then they conducted experiments in the lab to try and validate results from their simulations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers found that incorporating sheets made from vegetable waste was able to improve cement hydration. The sheets acted as reservoirs that allowed water to reach more cement particles and thus improve its binding ability. \u2018At the same time, once the hydration is over some of these carrot nanosheets remain in the cement and make its structure very strong,\u2019 said Prof. Saafi. \u2018We haven\u2019t seen this before and it\u2019s really an amazing discovery.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdding root vegetables to cement was found to have additional benefits too. Applying pressure on a carrot, for example, produces electrical power that could power a small LED light or electronic devices. When carrot nanosheets were added to cement, Prof. Saafi and his colleagues found that they could make concrete that produces electricity. If used to build a bridge, for example, electricity could be generated when cars pass over it or due to vibrations or movement caused by pedestrians. \u2018We can use this electricity from the concrete to power LEDs or streetlights,\u2019 said Prof. Saafi. \u2018It could also power sensors to monitor air pollution.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EElectricity produced by concrete could also give insight into the health of a structure. The voltage generated would change if there are cracks, for example. Incorporating a monitoring device that tracks electrical output in a building or bridge could therefore help determine when something is amiss and a structure needs to be checked, thus preventing catastrophic failure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team is now conducting field tests to see if they can build structures with their carrot cement that have the same properties observed in the lab. They are also aiming to use existing processes when producing their modified concrete to help reduce costs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf all goes well, the team expects their vegetable cement could reduce the amount of cement needed to build a structure by 10 kg per cubic metre of concrete. \u2018Hopefully in the future we can optimise it a little better and further reduce the amount of cement (needed),\u2019 said Prof. Saafi.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFly ash\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther types of waste material are being tested to make more sustainable concrete. Industrial by-products such as fly ash - a fine, powdery material that remains after coal is burned - and blast furnace slag \u2013 granulated leftovers from steel production \u2013 could partly replace cement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We can reduce (the amount of) cement by 30% to 50% and add these industrial by-products (instead),\u2019 said Dr To\u0161i\u0107, who is exploring this approach as part of a project called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/836270\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EGREEN-FRC.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team is focussing on producing fibre-reinforced concrete for use in urban settings, to make pavements and buildings for example. They will experiment with different concrete mixtures to find those that are optimal from a sustainability perspective and where mechanical properties are not compromised.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMathematical models will initially be used to predict the properties of their greener concretes based on their composition which will be followed up by lab tests. \u2018We expect that they will behave differently than typical, traditional concrete,\u2019 said Dr To\u0161i\u0107.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022 class=\u0022@alignleft@\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Stronger cement made with recycled plastic could allow the construction industry to reduce the usage of unsustainable reinforcement components such as steel. Image credit - Nikola To\u0161i\u0107\u0022 height=\u00224000\u0022 src=\u0022\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/nt_4.jpg\u0022 title=\u0022Stronger cement made with recycled plastic could allow the construction industry to reduce the usage of unsustainable reinforcement components such as steel. Image credit - Nikola To\u0161i\u0107\u0022 width=\u00226000\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003EStronger cement made with recycled plastic could allow the construction industry to reduce the usage of unsustainable reinforcement components such as steel. Image credit - Nikola To\u0161i\u0107\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIncorporating plastic into concrete is also of interest. Recycled plastic fibres could eventually be used to make it stronger, perhaps allowing for a reduction in unsustainable components such as steel used to reinforce cement. Since the project started in early 2020, the team has been incorporating different amounts and types of polypropylene plastic fibres into concrete and testing how it fares in the long term. Concrete continuously deforms over time when put under a constant load, so they want to see how it behaves when its composition is altered. \u2018We need to be able to predict this,\u2019 said Dr To\u0161i\u0107.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESoon, the team will also start looking at how certain clays could be used to partially replace cement in concrete. Cement has an additional environmental footprint which stems from natural resources such as clays and minerals that are required to make it. But using limestone calcium clay instead could be a more sustainable option since it is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wedocs.unep.org\/bitstream\/handle\/20.500.11822\/25281\/eco_efficient_cements.pdf\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Emuch more abundant than other natural materials used to make traditional cement, as well as other alternatives such as industrial by-products\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr To\u0161i\u0107 thinks that their greener concretes will initially be used in pavement, lining for tunnels and panels for building facades, which require less reinforcement than structures such as buildings. Some construction companies are already taking an interest in the project by providing free materials for their experiments. \u2018In the last year, we are noticing that construction companies are making a change or a shift in terms of thinking,\u2019 said Dr To\u0161i\u0107. \u2018They are seeing that sustainability is necessary for them in the future otherwise they will lose a market.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research in this article was funded by the EU. 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