New Climate-Friendly Cement Substitute?

Cement is to the construction industry like dirt is to a garden. It’s essential for all kinds of buildings and infrastructure. But it’s also a huge greenhouse gas contributor. With the current push toward more climate-friendly technologies, two researchers from Massachusetts claim they have created a cement-like material that is not just carbon neutral, but literally sucks carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. So what is this intriguing new material? It’s called Enzymatic Construction Material or ECM. It was created at the Massachusetts-based Worcester Polytechnic Institute by researchers Suzanne Scarlata and Nima Rahbar. Carbon-Negative Foodprint In addition to its eco-friendly carbon-negative footprint, they say it will also use stored carbon to heal cracks. And it may also be a good material to patch aging concrete. As reported by Construction Dive, the primary component of ECM is calcium carbonate crystals. You get that by combining carbonic anhydrase with CO2, which is an enzyme found in living cells. The mixture also includes sand, water, and a polymer binding agent. The final product isn’t as strong as concrete, but Scarlata and Rahbar say it could be used for smaller projects with a lower load demand. That might be the side of a house, for example. What’s a Megapascal? ECM’s strength is currently 12 MPa, or Megapascals, which is a unit of measure for the compressive strength of concrete. The higher the number, the more pressure can be applied to the concrete before it starts to break down. Typical Portland Concrete ranges from 20 to 40 MPa but some concrete is rated much higher for projects that require high strength and durability. Scarlata told Construction Dive: “The technology’s there, but needs tweaking and a little more development.” They have patented their product and founded a start-up called Enzymatic Inc. to develop it. In addition to making it stronger, they also reportedly want to make it more resistant to humidity and water damage. They plan on conducting more tests, and will be filing for grants to help fund their research. ECM currently costs about $168 per cubic yard to produce although Rahbar says the benefits it provides for the environment are much greater than concrete. Concrete is cheaper, dollar-wise, at $125 per cubic yard. Other Eco-Friendly Concrete Alternatives But this isn’t the only eco-friendly product being developed to replace concrete some day in the future. According to media website, Anthropocene, which focuses on sustainability science and innovation, there are other products in development that are also carbon-negative. One is called hempcrete, which is made of hemp fibers and a binding agent. Another is a material that’s infused with bacteria that absorbs carbon dioxide. The ECM product has an enzyme that does that. ECM vs. Concrete Anthropocene says that twenty-seven cubic feet of ECM will store 8 kilograms of carbon dioxide while the same amount of concrete will “emit” more than 180 kilograms of carbon dioxide. In addition to being carbon negative, ECM can use the carbon it stores to heal cracks. It can also be produced without high temperatures and doesn’t take a long time to cure, like concrete. It’ll take a huge effort to displace concrete, however. Concrete pretty much rules the construction world right now, with some 30 billion metric tons used per year. It also accounts for about 7% of the greenhouse gases produced worldwide. Rahbar says their goal is to produce a building material with a lower carbon footprint. He says: “It’s our contribution to climate change issues.” If you’d like to read more on this topic, you’ll find links in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com. Also, please remember to hit the subscribe button, and leave a review! You can also join our real estate investor network for free at newsforinvestors.com. That gives you access to the Investor Portal where you’ll find information on rental markets and sample property pro-formas. You can also connect with our experienced investment counselors, property teams, lenders, 1031 exchange facilitators, attorneys, CPAs and more. Thanks for listening. I'm Kathy Fettke. Links: 1 - https://www.constructiondive.com/news/self-healing-concrete-ecm-enzymatic-substitute-sucks-carbon-out-air/620368/ 2 - https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2022/03/new-building-material-soaks-carbon-and-heals-itself/