Research on concrete paves way to innovation prize

The government has awarded its German Future Prize 2016, worth €250,000, to three scientists at the Technical University of Dresden for their work on developing carbon concrete, an environmentally friendly alternative to reinforced concrete.

The development of carbon concrete involves thousands of carbon fibres forming grids and being coated with concrete. The result is lighter, more durable and easier to mould than reinforced concrete, according to a government statement on 1 December.

Worldwide, about 160 million tonnes of steel are used every year to reinforce concrete. The aim is to replace 20 per cent of the steel with carbon in the next 10 years, the government said.