Concrete that clears the air

Posted by: Adam Aston on March 20

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Concrete is about to start helping in the fight against air pollution, thanks to a new recipe spiked with titanium dioxide, a compound that becomes chemically active in sunlight. Originally concocted by Italy’s Italcementi for its bright white, self-cleaning features, the product, called TX Active cement, also neutralizes air pollutants such as benzene, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and others. In the U.S., where the mix is distributed by Essroc Italcementi Group, the first application may be to improve air quality at schools near highways. Working with school districts in Los Angeles and elsewhere, architectural firm Fieldoffice has designed exotic-looking barriers to keep road smog and noise away from areas where kids live, study, and play. To maximize the walls’ surface area and thus their pollution-eating potential, the designers plan to use concrete-forming gear that employs ink jet printing technology to create Swiss cheese-like patterns in the walls.

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Reader Comments

Alfredo

April 2, 2008 11:23 AM

This concrete is used only for walls and not used for structural purposes yet, columns and beams?

Abdul

April 3, 2008 02:28 PM

Could you please send me some more information or detail on this product.

John M. Stone, CCIM, CPM, CIPS

April 4, 2008 06:32 PM

This TX Active Concrete helping fight air pollution through its Titanium DiOxide component is way cool. Show it to the Texas Department of Transportation soon, please.

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In Green Business, BusinessWeek Energy & Environment Editor Adam Aston, Senior Correspondent John Carey, and Associate Editor Heather Green shed light on the business aspects of energy, the environment and climate change. Their focus is the technologies, policies, markets and people that are shaping how the earth's resources will be used in the century ahead.

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