Corgan, a Dallas-based architect with 16 U.S. and three overseas offices, is shedding light on the least scrutinized area of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions accounting in structural material extraction and processing. A team from the firm’s Echo sustainability practice and Hugo research group released a white paper, “Understanding Real CO2e Emissions in Mass Timber Production,” in conjunction with last…
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This month, I’d like to have some fun with a serious topic. In the great sustainability measure of concrete, steel or wood specifications, rules of the childhood “Rock, Paper, Scissors” game transform to accommodate these heavyweight construction material contenders. Each wields strengths but also has its Achilles’ heel. Here’s how the matchup plays out: Concrete smashes steel: Concrete is the…
Read MoreA new Massachusetts Institute of Technology Masic Lab collaboration extends 10-plus years of CarbonCure Technologies research on carbon dioxide utilization and mineralization in fresh and finished concrete. Armed with advanced analytical spectroscopy and microscopy tools common in cement or aggregate quality control, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Admir Masic will lead an investigation of the fundamental mechanisms of…
Read MoreHydroGraph Clean Power Inc., Ontario-based high purity graphene producer, has announced findings of its second research study in partnership with Arizona State University, highlighting potential advancements in extending the use of the company’s Fractal Graphene into cement and concrete applications. Co-authored by Chief Science Officer Ranjith Divigalpitiya, the study validates the potential of HydroGraph’s graphene in revolutionizing the construction industry,…
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Federal agencies have spent more than two years reviewing carbon dioxide emissions associated with load-bearing construction material processing or production. Officials recognize regional or local factors affecting the CO2 emissions profile of concrete, asphalt and steel, and have positioned 2025 as a turning point for procurement terms applicable to federally funded transportation and building work. The Federal Highway Administration took…
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Gotham Ready Mix, a concrete supplier in New York City, is no stranger to innovation, delivering performance materials to mid- and high-rise residential or commercial projects across the Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Bronx boroughs. The producer started in 2019 with 35 trucks and three plants in Brooklyn and Bronx. Fast-forward to 2024 and it has grown drastically. Gotham Ready Mix…
Read MoreThe inaugural Heavy Industries Benchmark from World Benchmarking Alliance, Amsterdam, ranks 34 cement, 45 steel and 12 aluminum producers on carbon dioxide emissions reduction metrics. Four of the top five are cement producers Cemex S.A.B. de C.V., CRH Plc, Holcim Ltd. and Heidelberg Materials, all with major North American market positions. Three other multinationals—Votorantim Cimentos, Asia Cement and Siam Cement—along…
Read MoreThe latest Environmental Protection Agency Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks cites 2022 GHG loads of 5.489 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, a 1.3 percent increase from the prior year. The GHG Inventory factors emissions of CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride and nitrogen trifluoride—all pegged for their global warming potential when released to…
Read MoreMaster Builders Solutions has formed a Concrete Sustainability Group aimed at positioning the admixture giant as a go-to knowledge provider for low embodied carbon concrete. The group will focus on fostering effective collaboration among architects, engineers, producers, and contractors to ensure successful outcomes of projects with low-embodied carbon concrete requirements. The company has tapped Director of Sustainability Dr. Charles Nmai,…
Read MoreThe Environmental Protection Agency recently announced a $400,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program Phase II grant enabling Santa Ana, Calif.-based Hydrova Inc. to advance work on black dross—a material frequently landfilled after primary aluminum recycling—for applications including cement clinker raw feed. Themed “Complete Resource Recovery and Hydrogen Production from Secondary Aluminum Processing Waste,” the grant extends a $100,000 Phase…
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