Construction project reduced emissions by 36% by simply using less concrete

A housing project in Stockholm, Sweden, has been completed with a remarkable 36 percent lower carbon dioxide emissions per square meter than equivalent construction projects, according to calculations by Chalmers University of Technology, as reported by Swedish news media. 

This important reduction in carbon dioxide emissions is due, among other things, to the use of recycled steel, thinner inner walls and thin and hollow beam layers, which required less concrete. In addition, it has been possible to further reduce the amount of cement by using alternative binders such as slag from the steel industry.

The building and construction sector accounts for approximately 22 percent of Sweden's total climate emissions. One of the big culprits is cement, which is used in concrete. It consumes large amounts of energy and water and in total accounts for around 8 percent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. We need to quickly reduce our climate emissions, and we know that concrete in construction is a huge source of these emissions. And that is why successful construction projects like this one in Stockholm, Sweden, are so important because they help us find methods and materials that make construction more climate-friendly. 

"This is a clear example that it is possible to build with a lower climate footprint already today," said researcher and PhD student Ida Karlsson in a press release (Swedish source). The focus on resource efficiency has led to a much smaller climate footprint, but it has also helped to reduce the overall cost of the housing project, Karlsson adds.