Cursed By Knowing The Numbers

An Italian firm has patented a concrete mix that photocatalyzes nitric oxide pollutants in the air, breaking these smog creating compounds into less harmful carbon dioxide, nitrates and water.

Best performance is achieved in architecture with large surface areas and direct sunlight in locations with high traffic flows--urban.  An additional benefit is the long term preservation of bright, clean concrete surfaces.  The cement is white and the installation can be precast, plastered, or cast in place.

Results show a 45 to 60% reduction in nitric oxides via photocatalysis.  Cost of the concrete is 30 to 40% greater, but I would look at a plastered surface with this admix.  Test results in Milan showed covering 15% of visible urban surfaces with this material enables a reduction in pollution of approximately 50%.

Projects using photocatalytic cements [.pdf].

Q&A [.pdf]

Download the Scientific Results [.pdf].

As readers of Cursed know, I love a great graphic.  The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its report on Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis today.

"Most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations."

My take-away is that the triple bottom line approach to developing my projects is even more important.  Limiting greenhouse gas emissions is tough, but every new project I do has this as one of its elements.  More expensive?  Not in the long run.

2005 contribution to radiative forcing--factors that drive warming or cooling influences on global climate.