We are close to getting waterless concrete to use on the Moon. Promises to change buildings on Earth

For some time we have been looking for alternatives to lifelong concrete. Although it is a great material that is used to shape buildings, roads and bridges, it is also responsible for some problems. The production of cement, the binder used in mixing concrete, is responsible for a colossal carbon footprint. As if this were not enough, it also consumes large amounts of water.

Humanity’s ambition to return to the Moon is driving new solutions that seek to address the limitations of this material. If we want to use concrete to build structures on Earth’s satellite, we will have to do it without water, or with a minimal amount of this liquid. And if we achieve an advance of these characteristics, we could also apply it to the constructions of our planet.

The path to concrete without water

Creating “concrete” without water is not an easy task, but researchers have several proposals on the table. A team at Louisiana State University (LSU) is working on a new type of sulfur-based cement. The idea is to heat it until it is melted to prepare the material no need for water. In fact, the team recently mixed their cement with a compound that simulated lunar soil.

That test turned out to be successful. Using a 3D printer they managed to create concrete walls. The researchers also discovered that this new way of building comes with many other advantages. The walls can withstand a wide spectrum of temperatures. This appears to be a good advantage for lunar missions where the temperature can reach 121°C during the day and drop to -133°C at night.

It remains to be analyzed how these constructions would behave in a lower gravity environment than the one we have on our planet. The good news is that the LSU project has the support of NASA. The technology will be evaluated in the laboratories of the Marshall Space Flight Center, in Huntsville, Alabama. However, the number of tests that can be carried out on Earth is limited.

This is recognized by Philip Metzger, a planetary physicist at the University of Central Florida, in statements to MIT Technology Review. “When we send missions to these planetary bodies to test the technology using real soil, we may discover that we need to further improve the technology to make it work in that environment,” the scientist said of the new type of concrete.

In any case, if this technology continues to evolve and finally succeeds in space, it could become an interesting alternative for the construction on Earth. We know that consuming less water is a good idea. Replacing this element with sulfur could be a good idea. Now, we will have to wait to find out if this alternative would not come with other associated problems.

Images | LSU (1, 2)

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