Alexander Brand, assistant professor in the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has received a $600,000 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award to understand the physicochemical interactions between water and the primary components of cements to clarify how concrete works.
Cement, when reacted with water, makes up the binding phase of concrete. But cement production is currently the third-largest carbon dioxide source in the world after emissions from burning fossil fuels in the energy and transportation sectors.
Brand’s research clears a path for scientists and engineers to design new materials for a more sustainable and resilient concrete. With concrete being the most widely used construction material in the world, Brand’s research could ultimately transform civil infrastructure.
