The Bioconcrete Revolution (maybe)

Concrete is the most important building material on Earth - and it’s also responsible for a MASSIVE chunk of global carbon emissions. Join George as he discovers how a surprising discovery in 1973 could dramatically change how we make concrete forever.
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Credits:
Executive Producer:
Matthew Radcliff
Producers:
Elaine Seward
Andrew Sobey
Darren Weaver
Writer:
George Zaidan
Host:
George Zaidan
Scientific Consultants:
Danielle Beatty, M.S.
Brianne Raccor, Ph.D.
Michelle Boucher, Ph.D.
Executive in Charge for PBS: Maribel Lopez
Director of Programming for PBS: Gabrielle Ewing
Assistant Director of Programming for PBS: John Campbell
Reactions is a production of the American Chemical Society.
© 2023 American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.
Sources:
EP0388304B1 - Procédé de traitement biologique d'une surface artificielle - Google Patents
patents.google.com/patent/EP0...
5 of the Oldest Buildings in Paris | Architectural Digest
www.architecturaldigest.com/g...
Biomineralized Materials for Sustainable and Durable Construction | Annual Review of Materials Research
www.annualreviews.org/doi/10....
Production of Calcite (Calcium Carbonate) Crystals by Soil Bacteria is a General Phenomenon | Nature
www.nature.com/articles/246527a0
Frontiers | Microbially Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation (MICP) and Its Potential in Bioconcrete: Microbiological and Molecular Concepts
www.frontiersin.org/articles/...
Building New York Skyscrapers With Reinforced Concrete
www.the-possible.com/three-ne...
Self Healing Concrete: A Biological Approach | SpringerLink
link.springer.com/chapter/10....
Urease-aided calcium carbonate mineralization for engineering applications: A review - ScienceDirect
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
Limestone - PUB2902 | Missouri Department of Natural Resources
dnr.mo.gov/document-search/li...
The structure-based reaction mechanism of urease, a nickel dependent enzyme: tale of a long debate | SpringerLink
link.springer.com/article/10....
Making cement and concrete nature’s way
cen.acs.org/materials/inorgan...
New insights into the role of pH and aeration in the bacterial production of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) | SpringerLink
link.springer.com/article/10....

[@ACSReactions]

There are a bunch of other startups each trying their own unique method for bioconcrete. If you want to see more examples, check out this article: cen.acs.org/materials/inorganic-chemistry/Making-cement-concrete-natures-way/101/i19

[@philsalter]

I really enjoyed your video! The killer question of course is WHERE the calcium is coming from? Most conventional sources (typically CaCl2) come from the decomposition or dissolution of calcium carbonate - which as you pointed out releases CO2. The other killer question (at least with the urea hydrolysis pathway) is where the urea is coming from, and how that scales. As far as I am aware there are no references to carbon negative bio-concrete in the literature, and several life cycle assessments that show that microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) in it's conventional form is in fact MORE carbon emitting than conventional concrete.

[@ChristopherCurtis]

Hi - firstly, great video, very informative, & thanks. However, while the jump cuts are fun, if you're going to do them please make sure the audio levels don't jump with them. Thx!

[@brucecheesman2781]

An excellent video with a good pace and enough detail to interest chemists and biologists.

[@TheFPSChannel]

Love the transition to Paris. ❤

[@Gantros]

I wonder if this could be combined with recent discoveries about Roman concrete having calcium carbonate lumps mixed in that give it its self-healing properties in addition to the volcanic ash that gives it its strength.

[@Phootaba]

I love the meta humor in your videos!having CO2 negative concrete would be the dream. Like, growing my new slab for the hammock I've decided I need at home! 😍

[@znavot0]

Normal concrete is actually reabsobing CO2 during it's life.

[@DrBernon]

Why are these videos so good? Instantly subscribed!

[@ryanwaege7251]

Another great video, thanks Reactions team

[@edge-rps]

well made video thanks

[@tobiasklanner5465]

Great video. Is there any more info about the French paint you mention? Is it available commercially? Thanks!

[@MrMash-mh9dy]

I just watched a documentary on the Great Lakes and there is a geological feature called the Laurentian Shield that goes through them. It is capped with Dolemite and because of the hardness of it, it has persisted for hundreds of millions of years while being exposed to the elements. You need a rock from that!!

[@rggu-tk7ed]

Thank you, informative and fun to watch

[@ZombieBradow]

I do research on this, and I don't disagree with anything you've said here. Nice video.

[@sibelyrocha8765]

Hi! I’m starting my research on this for my masters. Would you like to talk about it? I’m from Brazil.

[@dianewallace6064]

Thank you for this content.

[@lautaromorales2903]

the most important part is, where do you obtain the calcium ions? if you use calcium chloride that's made from calcium carbonate via solvay process where CO2 it's emmited

[@JoeNunyabidness]

I wonder if adding a basalt reinforcement, either rebar or fabric/fiber, would provide a low carbon end product of comparable usefulness? It would also allow for a longer lifecycle as water intrusion would increase the lifespan of the arrangement since basalt isn't degraded by water while the concrete would repair itself with the water. Reducing the consumption of concrete and steel would make a huge impact on our carbon output.

[@SiddeshDharmale]

I want to make a project on it Can you give me brief about it

[@hazenwilson4944]

Great video. The light one is the way to go. It could work just like the algae carbon capture tubes. But it also produces hydrogen which is cool does it emit oxygen at all tho?

[@paulpardee]

I, for one, welcome a future where I can pee on some bacteria and it'll build me a patio.

[@ChrisRedfield--]

Basilisk Self-Healing Concrete.

[@muhangiphilemon3588]

Interesting

[@Tony-op6xf]

7:15 hmmm terry how’ was trying to say planets grow from stars. If stars eject matter that condenses into small rocky planets and space born organisms populate it.. i can see how planets can “grow” with this process. Didn’t they say earth is expanding?

[@nicrule4424]

Great video, but please buy a lapel mic or something because your audio quality and volume are all over the place in this video. (I really noticed starting around 1:36 but it waivers a lot thorough the video)

[@oneplaneteer1708]

Use diatoms instead of bacteria?

[@monikalala3810]

But...where do the Ca2+ ions come from? This is the more important question. Forming the calcite is not the problem . With Calcium and air, and water drying..it will form by itself...

[@lautaromorales2903]

yeah, the calcium ions are obtain from the main source of calcium on earth, CaCO3

[@kaktees]

Could’ve printed Eddie Murphy’s pic for dolomite 😹

[@Protoncloud]

But even bio concrete will need calcite produced to be turned into concrete, releasing same amount of co2 as produced when turning limestone into concrete? I don't understand where the carbon production is being reduced.

[@ACSReactions]

Bioconcrete needs a calcium supply, but the microbes actually produce the calcite.

[@rfldss89]

The calcite in this case is the end product. That's what replaces the concrete. It's just limestone, we've built with limestone for thousands of years, before the invention of calcium silicate-based cement.

[@willythemailboy2]

In traditional concrete the carbon atom in the calcium carbonate is of geologic origin - dug up out of the ground in a similar-but-not-quite-the-same-way as fossil fuels. It's still fossil carbon, but it's carbon sequestered by geologic processes rather than biological. In bio based concrete, the carbon atom in the calcium carbonate is either absorbed from the air (for the photosynthetic variety) or supplied with the food for the bacteria (for the urea variety). That is carbon which is already in the biosphere and thus isn't adding to the carbon already in the atmosphere. It's recycling the carbon we already have instead of digging up more.

[@Protoncloud]

@@willythemailboy2 yeah that seems to make sense. thanks

[@znavot0]

where do the Calcium comes from? carbonate is just CO2 dissolved in water.. not so difficult to produce. Or some major steps are missing here or those are just start-ups that deceive their investors.

[@lautaromorales2903]

The calcium probably comes from CaCO3 converted to CaCl2, where CO2 it´s generated, so it's a waste of time this process because it's not carbon negative or neutral.

[@XSpImmaLion]

Urea? Could we start making concrete factories... out of our sewers? xD

[@imanderdumme8706]

Hello imam hossein be with you

[@dplocksmith91]

He's dead and has been for hundreds of years. Stop proselytizing. Nobody in their right mind would become a Christian or a Muslim in this day and age.

[@cassieoz1702]

I still don't understand where the Calcium comes from

[@lautaromorales2903]

yeah, the most important part isn't explained because it comes from CaCO3 where CO2 it's released.

[@masol3726]

hempcrete

[@kimsmoke17]

I rarely see or touch physical paper these days…. This gives me heart burn.. 4 grams of sodium bicarbonate, and 2 grams of citric acid, dissolved in 100 grams of hydrogen oxide. It cures heart burn.