Use Less Material

Impact of building materials

The building sector is responsible for almost 40 % of greenhouse gas emissions.

The energy consumption for the production of building material plays a crucial part. Con­ crete is the most widely used building ma­ terial and is even the most widely used sub­ stance on earth, after water. The global use of concrete is increasing: China, for instance, used more cement between 2011 and 2013 than the US did in the entire 20th century.

Concrete and greenhouse gasses

Cement is the main binder that holds the ag­ gregates, such as sand and gravel togeth­ er in concrete. Cement production releases both directly CO₂ through heating calcium carbonate and indirectly through the energy required within its manufacturing process. The production of 1 tonne of portland cement produces roughly 1 tonne of CO₂.

Digital technologies help to use less concrete

We are reliant on concrete, which will not change soon, due to its unique benefits for construction. But any technology enabling us to use less concrete and especially cement is hugely beneficial.

It is time to rethink the design and construc­ tion of buildings: ETH Zurich demonstrates the groundbreaking possibilities of compu­ tational design and digital fabrication, which will fundamentally change conventional buildings in the years to come. For example, using a robotic concrete extrusion process, the concrete can be applied specifically only where needed, thereby helping to reduce the amount of material needed and to reduce the weight of building components.