Greener Foundations: Enhancing Geopolymer Concrete with Wollastonite Carbonation and Photocatalysis

Overview

Cement manufacturing currently accounts for 8% of global anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, largely due to the calcination of limestone in the mass production of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). Amid the climate crisis, it is essential that we invest more research into reducing emissions from the construction industry through development of sustainable building materials.  In this project, a novel prototype of carbon-capturing concrete was developed through integrating photocatalytic reduction of CO₂ and wollastonite carbonation into a geopolymer network. This was done by developing a metakaolin-based geopolymer mix design that incorporates a biochar-supported zinc oxide photocatalyst and wollastonite aggregates. The objective of this project was to determine whether these additives increase CO₂ uptake during curing, and how their performance compares to OPC. The developed prototype was shown to sequester more CO₂ and sustain larger loads than OPC-based concrete. With more research, this proof-of-concept study could help reduce global CO₂ emissions.

Awards (2)

• Silver Medal
• Selected for CWSF 2026

Competition history

• CWSF 2026 Environment & Climate Change

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