August 2015
The ways that basic construction materials are manufactured and utilized are being transformed by the creation of new green, or sustainable, chemical products.
Researchers are increasingly adopting green chemistry principles to design new non-toxic products that are harmless to humans and the environment, help prevent or reduce pollution, and even reverse the effects of accumulated hazards caused by centuries of industrial activities.
At the governmental level, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is strongly encouraging these efforts since they can reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances and result in source reduction.
While developments in green chemistry affect most industry sectors, from agriculture to mining, transportation, communications, and manufacturing, their impacts on the construction industry are especially far-reaching. And to some degree, green chemistry research and development has been underway for a number of years in the design and manufacture of concrete, steel and asphalt — staples of the heavy, highway and building sectors of construction. These developments have been driven by the need to reduce the amounts of toxic substances being generated and the quantities of energy being consumed during manufacture of these materials.