How cement “breathes in” and stores millions of tons of CO₂ a year
A new study authored by researchers from MIT CSHub and Holcim developed the first national-scale, bottom-up estimate of carbon uptake in buildings and infrastructure.
The MIT CSHub makes key impacts in three areas:
Carbon Neutrality
Carbon neutral concrete is possible. Solutions are available today, and new ones are being developed for the future. One of the major goals of MIT CSHub is to help realize a carbon neutral concrete industry.
Infrastructure
Effective, sustainable infrastructure spending can improve system performance and impact climate change. MIT CSHub investigates how low carbon infrastructure may be built with very finite resources.
Resilience
The risk of hazards like natural disasters and extreme heat is underestimated. Stronger construction to mitigate it is undervalued. MIT CSHub studies how cities can be made more resilient to hazards through investment in stronger, cooler construction.
What is the MIT CSHub?
The MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub) is a dedicated interdisciplinary team of researchers from several departments across MIT working on concrete and infrastructure science, engineering, and economics since 2009. The MIT CSHub brings together leaders from academia, industry, and government to develop breakthroughs using a holistic approach that will achieve durable and sustainable homes, buildings, and infrastructure in ever more demanding environments.
Why study concrete sustainability?
More concrete is produced than any other material on Earth. In the foreseeable future, there is no other material that can replace concrete to meet our societies’ needs for housing, shelter, schools, and infrastructure. It is an inexpensive construction material with a relatively small environmental footprint, but its attractive properties have lead to massive use that contributes approximately 5% of global CO2 production.
News
-
Concrete ‘batteries’ are one of MIT’s top stories in 2025
The Institute featured an article on improved energy density in multifunctional concrete as the first story in their annual roundup of the year’s most-read pieces.…
-
CONNstruction: How MIT Concrete “Batteries” Could Power the Future of Energy Infrastructure
Concrete already builds our world—could it power it, too? A new article in CONNstruction magazine explores our research on concrete “batteries” that store and release…
-
CONNstruction: From Jobsite to Lab: Where AI Finds Its Place in Construction
A new article in the Connecticut Construction Industries Association’s CONNstruction magazine explores how AI is being used across the construction value chain, including in research…
-
CNN: A Pompeii site reveals the recipe for Roman concrete. It contradicts a famous architect’s writings
Along with its many other innovations, the Roman Empire revolutionized architecture with never-before-seen features, such as large-scale arches and dome roofs. And many of these…
-
MIT News: How cement “breathes in” and stores millions of tons of CO₂ a year
The world’s most common construction material has a secret. Cement, the “glue” that holds concrete together, gradually “breathes in” and stores millions of tons of…
-
Explainer Video: Why was Ancient Roman Concrete so durable?
Ancient Roman concrete structures, such as the Pantheon, have endured for millennia despite being unreinforced. A new explainer video explores the mechanisms behind their durability,…
Learn about the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s commitment to accessibility.