Intensified research in concrete and asphalt

As of March 2020, the new "Concrete and Asphalt" lab will strengthen Empa's research in the field of building materials. Innovative technologies and materials for sustainable production and use are particularly in demand in these areas, as these two building materials, with an annual volume of more than 4.5 billion tonnes, account for the largest proportion of all materials used worldwide by far. The newly created Empa "Concrete and Asphalt" lab will start its research activities this coming March. "With an annual demand of over 4.5 billion tonnes, the two building materials together represent the largest proportion of all materials used worldwide," says Pietro Lura, who heads the new research lab. Both products also face common challenges, such as environmentally friendly, resource-efficient production and use combined with reduced CO2 emissions. In order to develop sustainable and cost-effective building materials, Empa researchers are thus working on new cementand bitumen-based materials, which produce smaller amounts of harmful greenhouse gas - or which can even capture CO2 from the atmosphere. In this way, the news lab, with its activities in the fields of cement chemistry, concrete technology, asphalt and road construction, fits in perfectly with the objectives of Empa's Research Focus Area "Sustainable Built Environment".