ETH project aims to make ultra-green concrete accessible worldwide
Zürich - Die Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH) hat einen ultra-grünen, kostengünstigen Beton entwickelt, der auf CO2-armen Zement und eine Neuformulierung des Betons setzt. Damit gelingt die Reduktion der Emissionen um bis zu 75 Prozent. Die Produktion des Zements läuft bereits weltweit.
With its Ultra Green Concrete project, ETH aims to make low-CO2 high-performance concrete generally accessible. The researchers led by Franco Zunino, Senior Scientist at the ETH Institute for Building Materials, are adopting an approach from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne: There, a cement formulation (LC3) of 50 per cent clinker with a combination of fired clay and limestone was found to save around 40 per cent CO2 compared to conventional cement. Zunino was involved in this development.
In the ETH project, he is now focussing on a second strategy to save CO2: reducing the proportion of cement in the concrete. This dual strategy offers flexibility to adapt low-carbon concrete compositions to individual markets, according to a statement from ETH. “It would be ideal to implement both at the same time,” Zunino is quoted as saying. However, this is difficult in some markets, “as production capacities and infrastructure have to be built up. Nevertheless, it is possible to realise at least one of them and still save CO2.”
According to calculations by Zunino and his team, the CO2 emissions of ultra-green concrete can be reduced from 300 to around 80 to 100 kilograms per cubic metre without compromising the performance of the material. In his opinion, there are therefore no excuses in industrialised countries for not switching to the new, more sustainable building material immediately.
The low-CO2 cement is also more durable and cheaper than conventional cement. Its production is reportedly already underway in seven cement plants worldwide. Zunino is convinced that LC3 will be the most widely used type of cement worldwide in ten years’ time.