Lecture

Concrete: Care and Maintenance for Future Generations

Graph Chat

Chat with Graph Search

Ask any question about EPFL courses, lectures, exercises, research, news, etc. or try the example questions below.

DISCLAIMER: The Graph Chatbot is not programmed to provide explicit or categorical answers to your questions. Rather, it transforms your questions into API requests that are distributed across the various IT services officially administered by EPFL. Its purpose is solely to collect and recommend relevant references to content that you can explore to help you answer your questions.

Description

This lecture discusses the significance of concrete as a widely used material, particularly after World War II, and its environmental impact. The instructor highlights the importance of recognizing concrete structures, which often go unnoticed despite their ubiquity. The lecture emphasizes the need for maintenance and repair of these structures, as they are vulnerable to decay and require ongoing attention. It addresses the misconception that modern buildings are durable and explores the ecological consequences of concrete production, including greenhouse gas emissions. The instructor advocates for a shift in perspective, urging the audience to view buildings as evolving entities that require care and adaptation over time. The lecture also touches on the role of natural elements, such as algae and fungi, in the life cycle of concrete. Ultimately, it calls for a cultural shift in how society values and maintains existing concrete structures, promoting sustainable practices that honor their material significance.

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Environmental science

Climate: Climate change mitigation

Related concepts (32)

Greenhouse gas

Greenhouse gases are those gases in the atmosphere that raise the surface temperature of planets such as the Earth. What distinguishes them from other gases is that they absorb the wavelengths of radiation that a planet emits, resulting in the greenhouse effect. The Earth is warmed by sunlight, causing its surface to radiate heat, which is then mostly absorbed by water vapor (), carbon dioxide (), methane (), nitrous oxide (), and ozone (). Without greenhouse gases, the average temperature of Earth's surface would be about , rather than the present average of .

Greenhouse gas emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions (abbreviated as GHG emissions) from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Carbon dioxide (), from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas, is one of the most important factors in causing climate change. The largest emitters are China followed by the US, although the United States has higher emissions per capita. The main producers fueling the emissions globally are large oil and gas companies.

Carbon capture and storage

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a process in which a relatively pure stream of carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial sources is separated, treated and transported to a long-term storage location. For example, the carbon dioxide stream that is to be captured can result from burning fossil fuels or biomass. Usually the CO2 is captured from large point sources, such as a chemical plant or biomass plant, and then stored in an underground geological formation. The aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and thus mitigate climate change.

Direct air capture

Direct air capture (DAC) is the use of chemical or physical processes to extract carbon dioxide directly from the ambient air. If the extracted is then sequestered in safe long-term storage (called direct air carbon capture and sequestration (DACCS)), the overall process will achieve carbon dioxide removal and be a "negative emissions technology" (NET). As of 2022, DAC has yet to become profitable because the cost of using DAC to sequester carbon dioxide is several times the carbon price.

Greenhouse gas inventory

Greenhouse gas inventories are emission inventories of greenhouse gas emissions that are developed for a variety of reasons. Scientists use inventories of natural and anthropogenic (human-caused) emissions as tools when developing atmospheric models. Policy makers use inventories to develop strategies and policies for emissions reductions and to track the progress of those policies. Regulatory agencies and corporations also rely on inventories to establish compliance records with allowable emission rates.

Related lectures (64)

Concrete: Care and Maintenance for Future Generations

Emphasizes the importance of maintaining concrete structures to address their vulnerabilities and environmental impact while adapting them for future generations.

Concrete: Care and Cultural Value

Examines the importance of concrete in infrastructure and the need for sustainable maintenance practices.

Concrete: Care and Cultural Value

Examines the importance of concrete in infrastructure and the need for ongoing care and appreciation of existing structures.

Concrete: Care and Maintenance for Future Generations

Emphasizes the importance of maintaining concrete structures and valuing existing buildings while addressing their environmental impact and repair needs.

Carbon Removal Technologies: Climeworks Innovations

Explores Climeworks' innovative carbon removal technologies and their impact on combating global warming through direct air capture.

Related concepts (32)

Greenhouse gas

Greenhouse gas emissions

Carbon capture and storage

Direct air capture

Greenhouse gas inventory