What if we could build with materials that don’t pollute our environment?
Revered for its strength, accessibility, and durability, concrete is indispensable in construction. However, its primary ingredient, cement, is responsible for up to 8% of the world’s annual CO2 emissions. Prometheus Materials and SOM have partnered to develop a carbon-sequestering Bio-Block—a direct substitute for the carbon-intensive Concrete Masonry Units (CMUs) ubiquitous in modern construction.
For the first time, the public can interact with the product at the Bio-Block Spiral installation in Fulton Market during the Chicago Architecture Biennial. Combining nature and science, the Bio-Block addresses the climate crisis, offering new possibilities for carbon-neutral construction.
Solving the Building Industry’s Biggest Carbon Challenge
Traditional cement and concrete production pumps 11 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every day. As a solution to one of the building industry’s biggest carbon challenges, Bio-Block offers an algae-based, zero-carbon alternative to the concrete masonry blocks (CMUs) found everywhere in our buildings and cities.
Zero Carbon Bio-Cement: Science Inspired by Nature
Bio-concrete uses naturally occurring microalgae – a microscopic algae that sequesters carbon. The algae-based building material uses photosynthesis and carbonate mineralization to sequester and store CO2 in material form. This process creates a material chemically similar to the calcium carbonate generated in coral reefs and oyster shells. When mixed with aggregate, this bio-cement creates a net zero-carbon building material with mechanical, physical, and thermal performance properties comparable or superior to traditional concrete.
A 1-to-1 Replacement
To underscore the viability of this replacement, Bio-Block Spiral was assembled using conventional masonry techniques and traditional mortar, and constructed by masons from the International Masonry Institute (IMI) and J&E Duff. Built from 544 blocks, the installation shows a 1200kg carbon reduction from typical CMUs.
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