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 formulations in order to reduce the associated emissions and to even embed carbons into building structures. However, innovative new approaches are being taken for the use of concrete that go beyond merely creating today’s building projects. In Cambridge, Mass., the MIT Electron-Conducting Carbon-Cement-Based Materials Hub (ec3 hub) and the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub) have partnered to investigate multifunctional uses for concrete. Significant progress has been made that might, in future years, result in concrete being seen from an entirely new and more environmentally positive viewpoint.
MIT hubs explore structural concrete for power storage
