Our webinar “As the Drum Turns: Transforming the Role of the Concrete Delivery Professional” is now live on YouTube! During this presentation, Beth Unger, Ph.D. and Elizabeth Moore provided an update on our special project to understand the concrete delivery professional (CDP) shortage and explore ways to boost recruitment and retention.
MIT engineers create an energy-storing supercapacitor from ancient materials
Two of humanity’s most ubiquitous historical materials, cement and carbon black (which resembles very fine charcoal), may form the basis for a novel, low-cost energy storage system, according to a new study. The technology could facilitate the use of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and tidal power by allowing energy networks to remain stable despite fluctuations in renewable energy supply.
The two materials, the researchers found, can be combined with water to make a supercapacitor — an alternative to batteries — that could provide storage of electrical energy. As an example, the MIT researchers who developed the system say that their supercapacitor could eventually be incorporated into the concrete foundation of a house, where it could store a full day’s worth of energy while adding little (or no) to the cost of the foundation and still providing the needed structural strength. The researchers also envision a concrete roadway that could provide contactless recharging for electric cars as they travel over that road.
The Hill: EPA must prioritize life-cycle emissions in building materials policy
In order to prevent global temperatures from rising by two degrees Celsius this century, the United Nations estimates that annual global emissions must drop by 30 percent by the decade’s end.
Meeting this urgent goal will be difficult for all sectors, even those which have a clear path to decarbonization. For instance, we know that we must transition the electrical grid to low carbon sources, and we must also transition land-based transportation to electrical sources.
Op-ed by Randolph Kirchain and Hessam AzariJafari.
Research Brief: Chemically Induced Pre-Cure Carbonation
In this brief, postdoc Damian Stefaniuk and research assistant Marcin Hajduczek outline how their method for carbonation before curing can offer a new solution for concrete sustainability.
Research Brief: Kinetic Temperature for Resilience Assessment
The growing threat of climate events like hurricanes makes the value of resilient construction clear. To help us understand resilience where fragility curves may fall short, Hub alum Konstantinos Keremidis, Sc.D. has developed a model to quantify damage for any building design for structural and nonstructural elements.
MIT CSHub hosts Concrete Delivery Professional workforce conference
On March 29th and 30th, 2023, we welcomed industry and academics to MIT to discuss the state of the professionals that keep the world moving: concrete delivery professionals (CDPs). During the workshop, the assembled experts identified innovative solutions to CDP recruitment and retention as well as the future of the profession.
We deeply appreciate the support of the Concrete Advancement Foundation — without them, this event wouldn’t have been possible.
3 Questions: Leveraging carbon uptake to lower concrete’s carbon footprint
“Carbon uptake is one more piece of the puzzle that makes concrete a sustainable choice for building in many applications.” In this MIT News story with Hessam AzariJafari, we cover the implications of uptake for life cycle assessment, including how it can be accelerated (where prudent).
Paper: Carbon-neutral pavements possible by 2050; rapid policy and industry action needed
In our new paper in the Springer Nature Group International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, Deputy Director Hessam AzariJafari, Director Randolph Kirchain, and Fengdi Guo modeled embodied impact of future pavements materials demand for the U.S. road network.
Lessons learned:
1) When currently scaled solutions are accelerated and adequate carbon capture technologies are available, carbon neutrality can be achieved by 2050.
2) GHG emissions from pavement construction materials are equally shared between local authorities, state DOTs, and the federal government.
3) Considering the performance limits, more than half of the material’s decarbonization way can be achieved without any innovative technologies.
4) Carbon capture and renewable energy sources are key enablers for achieving carbon neutrality. Without fully renewable energy sources, it is not possible to achieve carbon-neutral concrete and asphalt at the current efficiency level of carbon capture technologies.
5) Alternative concrete binders, mixtures optimization, and RAP are among the lowest-cost solutions for materials decarbonization.
6) In addition to construction materials, achieving carbon neutrality in the pavement life cycle requires more than just materials. A range of use-phase components, including albedo, pavement-vehicle interaction, carbon uptake, and end-of-life opportunities, can provide significant opportunities to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the life cycle of pavements.
Research Brief: The Critical Role of Dynamic Modeling in Forecasting Flood Risk
Urban communities have a higher risk of flooding than current models suggest, making it more vital than ever to ensure that our pavements, buildings, and infrastructure are built to withstand the stresses of future flooding events.
Research Brief: Inequitable Cost Burden of Hurricane Repairs
Hurricane repairs disproportionately burden socially vulnerable communities according to new research by Ipek Bensu Manav, the first quantitative analysis of its kind. The research brief prompts stakeholders to distribute their mitigation grants carefully and invest in stronger construction to better protect vulnerable communities.
