Interesting...but it's an initial research result. Carbon emissions are only 21% lower. There's no mention of either the $/pound cost of the seaweed powder (99% of concrete is used in projects that won't pay extra to cut carbon), nor the ecological costs of its harvest.
And of course a load of further testing is needed, to make sure this new concrete doesn't fall short on real-world durability, corrosion resistance, and such.
PaulHoule•6mo ago
As I see it it's part of a wide area of research on better concrete facing up to issues such as the climate change impact of Portland cement and also the issue that reinforced concrete cast in the 20th century hasn't held up as well as we wished it had.
bell-cot•6mo ago
> ... reinforced concrete cast in the 20th century hasn't held up as well as we wished ...
How much of that problem is actual failures of the "standard practice" technology at the time of construction, how much is expensive-to-replace old infrastructure reaching (or past) the end of its original design lifetime, and how much is "Surfside Syndrome" - dubious design + marginal construction + negligent-at-best maintenance + hard use?
At least in my part of the country (SE Michigan), news coverage of crumbling old infrastructure fairly often includes bits about being well past its design lifetime. Or ongoing failures to do repairs, in the face of worse-and-worse inspection reports.
bell-cot•6mo ago
And of course a load of further testing is needed, to make sure this new concrete doesn't fall short on real-world durability, corrosion resistance, and such.
PaulHoule•6mo ago
bell-cot•6mo ago
How much of that problem is actual failures of the "standard practice" technology at the time of construction, how much is expensive-to-replace old infrastructure reaching (or past) the end of its original design lifetime, and how much is "Surfside Syndrome" - dubious design + marginal construction + negligent-at-best maintenance + hard use?
At least in my part of the country (SE Michigan), news coverage of crumbling old infrastructure fairly often includes bits about being well past its design lifetime. Or ongoing failures to do repairs, in the face of worse-and-worse inspection reports.