What is the MIT ec3 (“ec-cube”) hub?
Founded in April 2024, the MIT Electron-Conducting Carbon-Cement-Based Materials Hub (ec3 hub) is a research consortium across MIT that aims to research and implement multifunctional cement-based materials. Read the ec3 mission and vision statement. Cement-based multifunctional materials go beyond just structural load bearing, such as storing energy or self-heating. As an outgrowth of the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub, the MIT ec3 hub is dedicated to advancing a broad research portfolio, implementing real-world solutions, and educating through stakeholder outreach.
Recent ec3 News and Resources
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MIT hubs explore structural concrete for power storage
Concrete has been used as a building material since 6500BC. Throughout this time, it has been seen solely as a structural material. Today, 14 billion m3 of concrete is poured annually. Recently, considerable efforts have been made to modify concrete…
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MIT ec³ hub Hosts Inauguration Ceremony
We celebrated the formation of the ec³ hub at our September 16th inauguration ceremony, which brought executives and academics from around the world to MIT campus. We thank everyone who joined us for our presentations and poster/tech demo reception for…
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Next-generation concrete: Combining loadbearing and energy storage solutions
This research brief by Damian Stefaniuk, James Weaver, Admir Masic, and Franz-Josef Ulm outlines the basics of the electron-conducting carbon concrete technology, a multifunctional concrete that combines this intrinsically scalable, resilient structural material with energy storage and delivery capabilities. Read…
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ec³ hub researchers to present at NT24
On June 27th at the NT24 conference, don’t miss Damian Stefaniuk, James Weaver, Admir Masic, and Franz-Josef Ulm’s poster presentation, “Load-Bearing Carbon Cement Supercapacitors for Structural Energy Storage Systems.” The presentation is scheduled between 5:30 and 7:30pm ET in MIT…
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The cement that could turn your house into a giant battery
On a laboratory bench in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a stack of polished cylinders of black-coloured concrete sit bathed in liquid and entwined in cables. To a casual observer, they aren’t doing much. But then Damian Stefaniuk flicks a switch. The blocks…
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MIT conductive concrete consortium cements five-year research agreement with Japanese industry
The MIT Electron-conductive Cement-based Materials Hub (EC^3 Hub), an outgrowth of the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub), has been established by a five-year sponsored research agreement with the Aizawa Concrete Corp. In particular, the EC^3 Hub will investigate the infrastructure applications of…