Grant: Alliance Grants

Concrete, the most common construction material in the world, represents the main component of construction. Aggregate materials normally occupy about 70% of the concrete volume and their production results in excessive emission of carbon dioxide. For instance, the production of cement and its use in concrete as a binder is one of the highest carbon dioxide producing processes, thereby contributing to climate change. Any decrease in carbon emissions from construction will help improve the long-term sustainability of the industry and help the environment. One potential solution to reduce the amount of cement used in the construction industry is to use the newly developed bioresin Biofusion in the concrete mix. The Biofusion bioresin, manufactured by Biodiffusion Technologies Inc. (BDT), is an engineered organic emulsion produced from naturally occurring resins. It is a non-toxic, non-hazardous, and non-leaching emulsion. The experimental program herein focuses on determining the impact of the Biofusion bioresin to the strength of concrete. As such, the strength and durability of concrete with the bioresin will be compared to that made with no bioresin. Five highly qualified personnel (HQP: 1 postdoctoral fellow; 1 PhD student, 2 MASc students, and 1 undergraduate student) will gain valuable skills through experimental research and interactions with industry during this project.BDT is the primary partner organization and will play a key role in the activities and success of this collaborative research initiative. BDT is a proud Canadian corporation that has embraced the sustainability agenda with tangible improvements in its manufacturing processes and use of recycled materials. BDT has a large capacity to translate the research results developed herein into practice, as they are responsible for the manufacture and supply of the Biofusion bioresin for commercial applications in multiple market sectors.