Cleaning up one of the world’s most commonly used substances
C-Crete, founded by Rouzbeh Savary PhD ’11, has created a cement alternative that could significantly reduce the industry’s carbon dioxide emissions.
MIT announces 2023 Bose Grants for daring new research
Grants fund studies of honeybee tracking, glass building materials, and defining excellence in human movement.
Jackson Jewett wants to design buildings that use less concrete
The PhD student is honing algorithms for designing large structures with less material — helping to shrink the construction industry’s huge carbon footprint.
3 Questions: Boosting concrete’s ability to serve as a natural “carbon sink”
MIT CSHub postdoc Damian Stefaniuk unpacks new research to bolster concrete’s natural carbon sequestration potential by adding sodium bicarbonate in mixes.
MIT engineers create an energy-storing supercapacitor from ancient materials
Made of cement, carbon black, and water, the device could provide cheap and scalable energy storage for renewable energy sources.
3 Questions: Leveraging carbon uptake to lower concrete’s carbon footprint
MIT CSHub Deputy Director Hessam AzariJafari is conducting vital research to investigate the impacts of concrete's carbonation across its life cycle.
New additives could turn concrete into an effective carbon sink
MIT engineers discover new carbonation pathways for creating more environmentally friendly concrete.
Integrating humans with AI in structural design
A process that seeks feedback from human specialists proves more effective at optimization than automated systems working alone.
Study: Carbon-neutral pavements are possible by 2050, but rapid policy and industry action are needed
Analyses show stakeholders of all levels must get involved in decarbonizing pavements to reach climate goals.
Riddle solved: Why was Roman concrete so durable?
An unexpected ancient manufacturing strategy may hold the key to designing concrete that lasts for millennia.
Hurricane-resistant construction may be undervalued by billions of dollars annually
Failing to consider neighborhood texture in hurricane-related wind loss models may undervalue stronger construction by over 80 percent.
Using nature’s structures in wooden buildings
A new approach enables architects to use discarded tree forks as load-bearing joints in their structures.
Designing the built environment through a service lens
Senior Carene Umubyeyi seeks to advance sustainable structural design in her home country of Rwanda and beyond.
Q&A: More-sustainable concrete with machine learning
MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab researchers aim to design concrete mixtures that use AI to shrink environmental footprint and cost, while recycling byproducts and increasing performance.
Timber or steel? Study helps builders reduce carbon footprint of truss structures
New analysis could help identify optimal materials for the crisscrossing struts that bolster bridges, towers, and buildings.