The Department of Energy announced $39 million in awards for 18 projects that are developing technologies to transform buildings into net carbon storage structures.
Several of the awards are targeted for alternative concrete and cement materials as part of DOE’s drive to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the built environment. “There’s huge, untapped potential in reimagining building materials and construction techniques as carbon sinks,” Jennifer M. Granholm, DOE secretary, said in a press release.
Other projects funded by the DOE include:
- Development of “living” wood with the strength of steel, a self-healing capability, and combined carbon-sequestering benefits from wood and microbes by Purdue University.
- Development of a composite panel containing bio-derived natural fibers that exhibit excellent mechanical and functional properties while maintaining a carbon-negative footprint by SkyNano LLC.
- Design of a carbon-negative, medium-size building structure using a high-performance floor system with maximized surface area for carbon absorption that uses a novel carbon absorbing concrete mixture as a building material at the University of Pennsylvania.
The DOE awards are intended to help meet the goal of net zero emissions by 2050 outlined in an executive order signed by President Biden last year to make the federal government carbon neutral. The program aims for a 65% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Related Stories
| Jul 30, 2014
Nonresidential building activity on the rise for 2015: AIA Forecast
Semiannual Consensus Construction Forecast predicts 4.9% increase this year, 8% next year, with offices and retail facilities leading the charge.
| Jul 29, 2014
AECOM's buying spree continues: Deal to acquire Hunt Construction Group in the works
The acquisition comes just two weeks after AECOM's $6 billion deal to acquire rival engineering and construction company URS Corp.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction market benefits from improving economy, new technology [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Following years of fairly lackluster demand for commercial property remodeling, reconstruction revenue is improving, according to the 2014 Giants 300 report.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Construction Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Structure Tone, Turner, and Gilbane top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction contractor and construction management firms in the U.S.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Engineering Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Jacobs, URS, and Wiss, Janney, Elstner top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the U.S.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Architecture Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Stantec, HDR, and HOK top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
| Jul 27, 2014
Top Data Center Construction Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Holder, Turner, and DPR head Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest data center contractors and construction management firms in the U.S.
| Jul 27, 2014
Top Data Center Engineering Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Fluor, Jacobs, and Syska Hennessy top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest data center engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the U.S.
| Jul 27, 2014
Top Data Center Architecture Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Gensler, Corgan, and HDR head Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest data center architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
