ChatGPT generated panoramic illustration of giant laminated wooden Lego-like CLT panels being lifted by cranes and stacked into a building under construction
Mass timber is being promoted as a way to cut carbon in construction, speed up schedules, and reduce costs. But there is another lens through which to view it that comes from project management research. Professor Bent Flyvbjerg has spent decades studying why large projects fail and what can be … [continued]
ChatGPT generated charcoal sketch of the Metropol Parasol in Seville, Spain, highlighting its dramatic timber lattice canopy and sweeping architectural form
Mass timber has moved far beyond the novelty stage. Cross laminated timber and glulam started to gain attention a decade ago as materials that could replace concrete and steel in mid-rise buildings. Since then the technology has advanced, codes have adapted, and architects and engineers have pushed the limits of … [continued]
ChatGPT generated panoramic schematic cutaway of a log, with one side milled into sawn boards for CLT and the other peeled into continuous veneer rolls
Mass timber has quickly become one of the most talked about building materials in the climate conversation, and for good reason. It locks away carbon from forests, displaces steel and concrete in construction, and lends itself to faster, modular assembly. But as with all industrial products, the devil is in … [continued]
ChatGPT & DALL-E generated panoramic image of a cement plant with a large vacuum cleaner labeled "CCS" hovering over it
As concrete month draws nearer to a close, it’s time to look at an option not previously explored, continuing to use limestone but bolting on carbon capture and paying for waste disposal in permanent sequestration sites. After fifteen years of assessing carbon capture technologies, pilots and proposals, this is one … [continued]
ChatGPT & DALL-E generated anoramic image of a concrete truck pouring US paper money into a construction site's foundation
During what has become concrete month, I’ve explored the full range of actual and purported solutions to the climate problem that is the cement, steel, and concrete used in construction. The industry’s emissions are high, with every ton of reinforced concrete having a carbon debt of 0.3-0.4 tons of carbon … [continued]
Reinforced concrete was invented in the mid-19th century, a game-changer in the construction world. French gardener Joseph Monier is often credited with its creation. While experimenting with materials to build stronger garden pots and tubs, he had the idea to combine concrete with iron mesh in 1849. Monier patented his … [continued]
ChatGPT & DALL-E generated panoramic image of a bauxite refinery with a red mud pond and a cement plant beside it
One of the many people who have suggested I look at something in the space of cement and concrete decarbonization suggested red mud. All I knew was that it had something to do with aluminum, and hence I thought it would be another metal slag supplement to cement. You know … [continued]
ChatGPT & DALL-E generated panoramic image of a river bed sand dredge with a concrete plant in the background
During concrete day… errr … week … errr … verging on two weeks this time, I’ve explored a lot of carbon emissions solutions for the full value chain of the gray glue that ensures our buildings don’t collapse, our bridges stay up, and our underground working chambers don’t pancake. We … [continued]
As I’ve been looking at solutions that people are proposing for eliminating cement’s high carbon dioxide emissions, a set of criteria are clearly emerging to assess whether they are going to be material. These include the source material availability, cost, and distribution. They include integration into worksites. They include the … [continued]
The building electrification movement could kick into high gear with an assist from fast-paced modular construction systems for urban development.
