Uk, China to Probe Building Materials That Could Help Save the World

• 31 December 2015
• Local News
• 1202 Views

Chinese and British scientists have joined forces to probe concrete that can sense itself and eat pollution, and also glass that might regulate a building’s temperature better, saving huge amounts of energy.

Late last year, the UK announced it would give US$4.5m to six research projects, each a collaboration between British and Chinese academics. Nine universities in China and nine in the UK are participating.

They plan to research, among other things, intelligent coatings for windows to improve energy efficiency; concrete that can conduct electricity and absorb airborne pollutants; stronger magnesia-based cements for big infrastructure; and using industrial waste instead of natural raw materials for cement.

Magnesium was used in concrete for centuries before Portland cement conquered the world, and such cement can be found in the Great Wall of China and between the timbers of Medieval European buildings. Greater strength and water resistance are among its advantages, so scientists from Cambridge, UCL, Nanjing Tech University and Chongqing will investigate its use in big dams, bases for offshore wind turbines, nuclear power stations and very deep oil wells.

When he announced the funding, UK science and universities minister Greg Clark said that the world needs this research and that science “knows no boundaries”.