The role of new material technologies for sustainable practice in the concrete industry

Concrete is a critical component for constructing the infrastructure necessary to provide society with basic safety and living requirements. However, the concrete industry is currently facing two opposing problems: it must meet growing demand for infrastructure while reducing the industry´s environmental impact. The development of new materials is a necessary part of meeting this challenge. Concrete has already been developed which utilizes waste from other industries to reduce the volume of cement, the primary contributor of CO₂ emissions in concrete. Material technologies such as this provide the foundation for moving forward and embracing sustainable practice, but other opportunities exist for new innovations. The challenge of developing sustainable materials will require more than just traditional concrete engineering knowledge, as other fields such as economics and environmental engineering are important aspects of sustainable development. Therefore, innovators in the concrete industry should consider a heterogeneous engineering approach to new materials and integrate the knowledge of other fields into the developmental process. Furthermore, concrete materials should be evaluated by applying triple bottom line - economic, environmental, and social - criteria during the development process and selecting materials which carry the highest sustainable benefits.