Comment Re:Faulty premise (Score 1) 167
If we need to cut cement production, we also need to cut cement use.
How is it being used? I can't seem to find numbers that break it down, at least not in a quick search. Obviously construction, but what sort? Because you're exactly right, but how we cut use will depend on where and how it's being used.
I hear a lot of hand-wringing about concrete use in single family slab-on-grade foundations and people suggesting replacements such as ground screws, but when you get down to it, a slab foundation is only a few car lengths long, a few street lanes wide, and will last decades longer than a road, so I doubt they're a large contributor (though every bit helps, of course). If I had to guess, I'd guess that most concrete is going to infrastructure, rather than residential or commercial construction. Infrastructure projects like dams, highway overpasses, and even just basic concrete roads are—I would assume—some of the largest consumers of concrete, and I'm not sure how you get around that.
I suspect there won't be any single solution to the issue. The closest thing to a magic bullet will be any change to the production process itself that can reduce emissions, such as eliminating or reducing the use of the materials (e.g. clinker) that contribute most significantly to emissions. That's already something that the industry has committed to do globally. Another part of it will come down to finding alternatives on a case-by-case basis (e.g. ground screws in place of slabs, asphalt/tarmac in places and situations where it can be used instead of concrete). Part of it will involve clever solutions that reduce the usage within existing solutions (e.g. overpasses that need less concrete). And part of it could also come down to formulating mixes that include carbon capturing materials, which is an area that has seen some advances in the last few years.
Even so, it'd be great if there was a magic bullet here.