Hot on the heels of cement’s formulae

Bridges, houses, dams - for decades, cement has been a permanent feature of our urban environment. What is deemed a robust and lasting material, however, is actually fragile and highly complex on the inside. Barbara Lothenbach understands the building material right down to every last detail - and how it opens up fabulous new possibilities. The Empa researcher was recently elected a Distinguished Senior Researcher in recognition of her many years of outstanding research in cement chemistry. When we talk about cement, it is usually about its mass, stability and wealth of possible applications. Very few associate the gray building material with the term 'environment'. Cue Barbara Lothenbach, a researcher from Empa's Concrete/Construction Chemistry laboratory.