CEE Seminar: Advancing Carbon Neutrality in Construction: The Transformative Potential of CO2 Curing Technologies

Abstract: Reminiscent of the transformation of Prometheus in Greek mythology, who went from a mere Titan to humanity's benefactor, CO2's role in concrete technology is experiencing a similar metamorphosis – once perceived as a harmful environmental agent causing degradation in concrete, it is now being reevaluated as a promising element in enhancing the material's property and sustainability. This report provides a comprehensive overview of this revolutionary technology, detailing its background, mechanisms and the challenges it faces. Specifically, it delves into new insights regarding the maturation pathways of cementitious materials under CO2 curing, where hydration and carbonation reactions coexist. 

Bio: Qi Luo is an associate professor at the School of Civil Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, and currently serves as a researcher at Aarhus University in Denmark. Before joining Aarhus University in 2023, Qi was a joint Ph.D. student at UC Irvine from 2016 to 2018, and a postdoctoral researcher at the National University of Singapore from 2022 to 2023. His research is driven by the exploration of the fundamental failure mechanisms of cement composite materials, with a particular focus on devising innovative methods to reduce the carbon and energy footprint of civil engineering materials and infrastructure.