Business View Magazine l November 2022

16 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 11 a 3% yearly decline to 2030 is needed to get on track with its Net Zero Emissions by 2050 goal make the federal government carbon-neutral. The program aims for a 65% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. In an interview with Construction Dive, Sofos said to meet those goals, changes in construction processes need to take place sooner rather than later. “We have a finite time until 2050 to hit emission reduction targets,” said Sofos. “Our goal is to demonstrate that it is possible to construct buildings that are net carbon negative over their lifetime.” Here are six projects with a focus on alternative concrete and cement materials that won DOE funding, according to the announcement: National Renewable Energy Laboratory – Golden, Colorado The National Renewable Energy Laboratory and partners will develop a carbon-negative, thermally insulating concrete that uses bio- based supplementary cementitious materials and concrete additives generated from low- value byproducts created during sustainable aviation fuel production. The team will show that activated carbon, aerogels and ash produced from biomass processing, as well as additional CO2 calcination of these materials, can replace a large portion of ordinary portland cement in common ready-mix concrete. University of Colorado Boulder – Boulder, Colorado The University of Colorado Boulder will manufacture and commercialize a net-CO2- storing portland limestone cement using biogenic limestone produced from calcifying microalgae. The technology aims to produce biogenic limestone that sequesters and stores CO2 in mineral form through biological air capture via photosynthesis and calcification. Using this production method leads to a net carbon-neutral lifecycle. University of Pennsylvania – Philadelphia The University of Pennsylvania will design a carbon-negative, medium-size structure by using a carbon-absorbing concrete mixture as building material. This technology complements mass- timber-based approaches via carbon-negative building design. Oregon State University – Corvallis, Oregon Oregon State University will develop C3, a cellulose cement composite, for use in residential and light commercial construction as an alternative to dimensional lumber and sheet products. The C3 material is net-carbon-negative and absorbs additional atmospheric CO2. University of Wisconsin-Madison –Madison, Wisconsin The University of Wisconsin-Madison will develop a carbon-negative replacement for portland cement, a component of concrete. The project will use direct air capture and convert industrial mineral wastes into a recyclable cementitious replacement for portland cement, with superior durability. Biomason – Durham, North Carolina Biomason will retool bioconcrete production processes and material combinations to generate carbon-negative cementitious building materials. The strategy can potentially replace most products now served by carbon-intensive traditional cement. Source: Sebastian Obando, first published July 20, 2022