Set in stone? A perspective on the concrete sustainability challenge

摘要: As the most abundant engineered material on Earth, concrete is essential to physical infrastructure of all modern societies. There are no known materials that can replace in terms cost and availability. are, however, environmental concerns, including significant CO2 emissions associated with cement production, which create new incentives for university–industry collaboration address sustainability. Herein, we examine one aspect this challenge—the translation scientific understanding at microscale into industrial innovation macroscale—by seeking improvements cement-paste processing, performance, sustainability through control mechanisms govern microstructure development. Specifically, consider modeling, simulation, experimental advances fracture, dissolution, precipitation, hydration paste precursors, as well properties hardened within concrete. The aim such studies optimize chemical reactivity, mechanical other enable more sustainable processing routes ubiquitous material.