Engineers around the world have developed alternatives to widely used building materials with reduced harmful environmental impacts. Of the top five innovative materials, two are possible substitutes for cement; the most widely used manmade material in the world also responsible for 5% of human-generated CO2 emissions each year.
Scientists at Rice University in Texas have developed a 'programmable' cement able to be controlled by negatively and postively charged surfactants (compounds that lower surface tension). The result is a less porous concrete that is significantly stronger. North Carolina building materials company bioMASON has developed cement bricks that grow when fed with nutrient-rich water and require less energy to create than standard cement bricks.
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