BioZEment: Developing a Zero Emission concrete based on bio-catalytic calcium carbonate cementation
The production of concrete is responsible for about 6% of global CO2 emissions, and radical changes in construction material production are needed in order to make substantial reductions in the environmental footprint of the construction industry. One approach towards more sustainable construction is through the emerging field of Construction Biotechnology, where microbial processes are used on a large scale in construction processes and materials production. The BioZEment concept, first conceptualized on the Research Council of Norway's first IdeLab in 2014, is an interdisciplinary approach to achieve cementation through bio-catalytic calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitation, with the potential to reduce energy demands and CO2 emissions in the construction industry. Unlike other approaches where microbes are used to induce cementation through the precipitation of CaCO3 from calcium salts, the BioZEment concept transforms crushed limestone into a solid building material through a series of microbial metabolic steps. In this talk, I will give you a brief introduction on the BioZEment project, and show you some of our results.