Researchers are studying how building materials can be made in a way that is less energy intensive and can result in cost savings.

One such building material is concrete, which is used to make sidewalks and roads, among other structures. Concrete consists of cement, water, sand, and stones that are mixed together. When cement is mixed with water, it acts like a binder—or glue—to hold together all the sand and stones that make up concrete. However, producing ordinary portland cement, the type of cement most often used, can be energy intensive because cement manufacturing requires high heat. This is because the limestone used to make cement releases carbon dioxide when heated, while the kilns where cement production occurs burn fossil fuels for heat.

To address this concern, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed “cement-free” inorganic polymer binders (IPBs) for producing concrete.