Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, have devised a novel material to address the scarcity of natural sand in construction projects.
With natural sand becoming increasingly scarce, the need for alternative materials has become critical, prompting scientists to explore innovative solutions.
Scientists at IISc's Centre for Sustainable Technologies (CST) are investigating the utilization of carbon dioxide from industrial flue gas to treat excavated soil and construction waste.
By utilizing carbon dioxide-treated construction waste as a partial replacement for natural sand, the environmental impact of construction materials can be significantly reduced.
The process developed by the team, led by Souradeep Gupta, has shown promising results in enhancing the engineering properties of the material, including compressive strength.
Injecting carbon dioxide gas into clayey soil has resulted in better stabilization, reducing surface area and pore volume while improving bulk engineering performance.
The team has also developed 3D-printable materials using excavated soil stabilized with various binders, demonstrating superior extrusion and buildability.
Future research will focus on assessing the impact of industrial flue gas on these materials' properties, with plans for industrial application and standards revision in cement-based construction materials.