Forty of the world’s top cement and concrete companies have unveiled a joint industry ‘2050 Climate Ambition.’ The statement demonstrates their commitment to drive down the carbon dioxide (CO2) footprint of the world’s most used manmade product, with an aspiration to deliver carbon-neutral concrete by 2050.
Designed by Snøhetta, the new timber office building for trekking and travel company ASI Reisen, situated in Natters, Austria, is inspired by a symbiosis between nature and humanity. Surrounded by a lush exterior, the four-storey structure combines timber frame construction with solid wooden elements to optimize material use and allow for the greatest amount of open floor plans.
Kamp C, a Belgium-based provincial centre for sustainability and innovation in construction, has printed a house using the largest 3D concrete printer in Europe. The 90-m2 (969-sf) dwelling was printed in one piece with a fixed printer. This is a world first, according to Kamp C.
Hot-dip galvanizing has been applied to reinforcing steel in concrete used for precast panels, barriers, and bridge decks since the early 1970s. While new technologies have surfaced in decades past, none have matched the performance or economic savings that galvanized reinforcing steel has delivered.
Concrete temperature monitoring becomes more critical in cold weather as low temperatures decrease the rate of strength development affecting the durability of the structure. For this reason, accurate and consistent temperature readings of concrete elements are important so that the quality of the structure is optimized.
The East Deicing Apron, a new deicing pad at the Calgary International Airport (YYC), has been built with reduced-carbon concrete. The first airplanes started using the facility just weeks ago.
Climate change poses challenges for building professionals tasked with the job of protecting structures from water damage. By becoming a part of the concrete, crystalline admixtures remove the need for a waterproofing membrane.
Sustainable structures must balance the environmental footprint, service life, social aspects, and economic factors. As modern society shifts to a circular, carbon-neutral built environment, concrete continues to deliver ‘best-in-class’ performance as a building material.
The American Concrete Institute (ACI) published ACI 318-19, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, in July. ACI 318 presents requirements for design and construction of structural concrete that are necessary to ensure public health and safety. It is addressed to the engineer or the building official who is responsible for the contract documents.
