A team led by Saudi Arabian developer Neom has announced plans to research new forms of concrete, including ones that incorporate seawater, plastics, fine sand and construction waste.
The NovusCrete consortium will look for ways to reduce the environmental impact of concrete, and also to cut costs and increase its lifespan and ease of recycling.
Other members of the team include the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, the Saudi Investment Recycling Company, Swiss chemicals producer Sika and US-based concrete researcher ClimateCrete.
They will also work alongside the American Concrete Institute, which has established a committee for the use of seawater in concrete.
One aim is to standardise the incorporation of seawater, as well as materials such as fibre-glass and reinforced polymer rebar.
For its part, ClimateCrete is looking to advance its technique for making fine sand into a high-quality material that is suitable for concrete-making. The company says this could reduce the amount of cement needed to make concrete, and so cut carbon emissions by up to 60%.
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