How carbon concrete is making the construction industry more sustainable

As the construction industry heads to a climate-neutral future, the decarbonisation of concrete is posing a critical hurdle. The construction material is estimated to produce around 2.8 billion tonnes of CO2 a year – nearly eight per cent of global emissions. Alternative construction materials such as carbon concrete are now set to change that. Unlike conventional concrete, which is supported by steel girders, this innovative material is supported by special reinforcements made from carbon fibres, facilitating much thinner, more flexible structures. This means a saving of over 50 per cent on concrete, and savings of around 70 per cent on CO2. To expedite the market launch of carbon concrete, two Dresden-based associations, C³ (Carbon Concrete Composites) and TUDALIT e.V., joined forces to form the world’s largest industrial association for carbon concrete. Past projects such as Dresden’s CUBE ‘Carbonhaus’ have already attracted nationwide attention and proven that the technology is fit for practical use. So the days of carbon concrete being something purely found on a laboratory test bench are well and truly over.