Professor Koyama and other researchers from the School of Science and Technology at Meiji University have joined a project led by companies such as Takenaka Corporation to develop energy-efficient, CO2-reducing, resource-conserving circular concrete. This initiative aims to contribute to the circular economy of concrete by recovering and reusing aggregate from construction waste.
Circular Concrete Development Technology: A New Energy Technology for a Decarbonized Society
The development project is being carried out in collaboration with companies including Takenaka Corporation, Kajima Corporation, and Kurimoto, Ltd. These companies are working on the development of energy-efficient circular concrete, with Meiji University providing technical support. The goal is to effectively utilize concrete waste generated on construction sites and reduce CO2 emissions.
Circular concrete uses environmentally friendly cement and recycled aggregate collected from demolished concrete and returned concrete. With recycled aggregate accounting for 70% of the concrete’s primary component, this technology promotes resource circulation. It is gaining attention as a new energy technology for achieving a decarbonized society.
Professor Akio Koyama and Associate Professor Koichi Matsuzawa from Meiji University have top-class domestic achievements in the quality management of recycled aggregate. They have developed efficient manufacturing management methods for recycled aggregate and recycled aggregate concrete and have contributed to the establishment and revision of JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards) based on their expertise.
In this project, they will use their accumulated knowledge and technology to optimize the manufacturing and quality management of recycled aggregate. This will stabilize the quality of recycled aggregate and enable the development of practical concrete products.
Traditionally, large amounts of concrete waste were generated on construction sites, much of which was disposed of by landfill or waste treatment. The development of circular concrete is expected to be a new model for a circular economy that reuses resources and breaks this trend.
Advancements in circular concrete development are expected to reduce CO2 emissions in the construction industry, decrease waste, and contribute to the realization of a sustainable society by alleviating the environmental impact of the entire construction sector.
This project is part of the “Research and Development of Energy-Efficient Technologies and Promotion of Social Implementation Program for Realizing a Decarbonized Society,” promoted by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). This program aims to implement innovative energy-efficient technologies, with circular concrete being one of its key initiatives.
Press release available here