The Department of Energy Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO) will create a Cement and Concrete Center of Excellence to accelerate the development and adoption of novel low-carbon material technologies. U.S. National Laboratories can receive up to $9 million through an upcoming competitive call to organize and lead the effort. DOE and IEDO officials envision the center as a) a supporting collaboration across the labs, academia, government agencies and corporations to foster and validate low-carbon cement and concrete technologies; b) increasing the industry’s economic competitiveness; and, c) helping the U.S. reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Among their priorities for Cement and Concrete Center of Excellence:
Test method development. New and/or improved tools and techniques, tailored for new binder chemistries to be used in concrete applications. Tools and techniques should address phase formation and carbon uptake evaluation. A correlation between chemistries and durability is expected.
Modeling. Methods to predict performances using data-driven tools. Modeling should consider predictions about ideal binder formulations to achieve fresh and hardened concrete performance. Attention to durability under a range of environmental conditions should be considered as well.
Data collection and monitoring. Nondestructive characterization tools and techniques for in situ/field monitoring of concrete applications. The objective is to allow data acquisition from a concrete element that could be in service. The use of next-generation sensors and instrumentation, including non-destructive techniques, is encouraged.
Carbon accounting. Methodologies for calculating and reporting emissions in selected applications and compare them to a designated baseline. The data obtained via in-house testing or provided by industrial partners will be analyzed and used for lifecycle analysis and support to Environmental Product Declarations.
The center is part of DOE’s strategy to leverage the National Labs’ convening power to support industrial decarbonization technologies from idea inception to adoption on U.S. construction sites. Through IEDO, along with the Offices of Technology Transitions and Clean Energy Demonstrations, DOE is investing in generating innovation and accelerating the commercialization, market demonstration, and demand-side adoption of promising processes, materials and methods. The new center will be uniquely positioned to bring together researchers, engineers, code and standards developers, and other key stakeholders across the full value chain to model and evaluate new technologies and move them from the lab toward market-ready adoption. The center will also de-risk new decarbonization technologies for first movers by developing tools to predict material performance in different service environments. It will expand the use of these new solutions, facilitate data acquisition in a live environment, and promote practical applications that reduce cost and increase sustainability.
