Nanotechnology for cementitious building materials – Challenges for a sustainable society

Nanotechnology has become part of our lives and is gaining further acceptance in all sectors be it industry, research, or medical care. At the same time the forever increasing housing needs are still primarily covered by concrete, the most significant commodity in the construction industry, but cement, its main constituent, is responsible for over 4% of the global manmade CO2 production. Adding to this, there is a vast number of cementitious products industrially available targeted at specialized applications. Such applications include restoration and strengthening projects of high cultural value, areas in which the use of cementitious building materials is less obvious or pronounced.
Therefore, cementitious building materials can determine our future, while affecting our past and present. For this, nanomodifications are being studied, in an effort to improve strength and durability, while reducing the carbon footprint of formulations. Nanoparticles have been shown to offer such potentials, and this presentation will provide an overview of all latest findings. Lastly, a number of potential applications will be highlighted as areas for future research.