New Concrete Alternatives?
Many construction companies are trying to find new alternatives to concrete that are environmentally friendly. A big advancement for an alternative is concrete made from glass. But, why do we need an alternative for concrete? And more specifically, why glass?
Concrete causes a lot of problems with transportation and production. Production of concrete comes at an environmental cost due to the amount of energy that is required to manufacture it. There also has been talk about manufacturing 3D-printed concrete, but the idea is still evolving and needs more testing before implementing it. New alternatives are being made to be more carbon-neutral and strong than normal concrete.
Manufacturing companies are using glass to replace traditional concrete because they are able to use recycled glass. Glass tends to go to waste, and using old glass is much more environmentally friendly than normal concrete. To turn glass into concrete, it is broken down into small sizes repeatedly until it is turned into a fine powder, which is then combined with other waste products such as ash or slag to test for stability and durability. The glass cements is made up of 10-30% of powdered glass, and is proven to be stronger, lighter, and last longer.
The world is advancing and people are coming up with new and innovative ideas to prevent global warming. Small steps like concrete alternatives could go such a long way to help the process of protecting our planet.
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