scholarly journals Opportunities and challenges for engineering construction materials as carbon sinks

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 105-118
Author(s):  
Sabbie A. Miller ◽  
Elisabeth Van Roijen ◽  
Patrick Cunningham ◽  
Alyson Kim
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Research And Development ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Energy Resources ◽  
Environmental Benefit ◽  
Engineering Construction ◽  
Infrastructure Systems

Population growth and urbanization over the coming decades are anticipated to drive unprecedented demand for infrastructure materials and energy resources. Unfortunately, factors such as the degree of resource consumption, the energy-intensive nature of production, and the chemical-reaction driven emissions make infrastructure materials production industries among the greatest contributors to anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Yet there is an often-overlooked potential environmental benefit to infrastructure materials: most remain in use for decades and their long service lives can facilitate extended storage of carbon. In this perspective, we present an overview of recent technological advancements that can support infrastructure materials acting as a global, distributed carbon sink and discuss areas for further research and development. We present mechanisms to quantify the extent to which the embodied carbon will be removed from the carbon cycle for a long enough period of time to provide carbon sequestration and climate benefit. We conclude that it is possible to unlock the vast potential to engineer a carbon sequestration system that simultaneously meets societal need for expanding infrastructure systems; however, complexities in how these systems are engineered must be systematically and quantitatively incorporated into materials design.

Investigation of the Roadside Forest Based on "Carbon Neutral"

2013 ◽  
Vol 779-780 ◽  
pp. 1314-1319
Author(s):  
Xing Long Zhu ◽  
Chen Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Transport System ◽  
Carbon Balance ◽  
Carbon Emission ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
The Road ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Carbon Neutral ◽  
Highway System

The paper discusses the importance of increasing the carbon sink function of the highway system in maintaining carbon cycle balance of the Earth and "Carbon neutral" concept is used in highway roadside design. The carbon emission and carbon sequestration capacity of forest on both sides of the highway system are also calculated. The results show that most of the road green design has not yet reached a self-balancing capability of neutral carbon sink, and the establishment of the carbon sink forest from 50m to 100m will realize the carbon balance of the transport system.

scholarly journals Trends and dynamics of material and energy flows in an urban context: a case study of a city with an emerging economy

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clara Inés Pardo Martínez ◽  
William Alfonso Piña ◽  
Angelo Facchini ◽  
Alexander Cotte Poveda
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
The Other ◽  
Material Flows ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Urban Agglomerations ◽  
Energy Flows ◽  
The City

Abstract Background Currently, most of the world’s population lives in cities, and the rapid urbanization of the population is driving increases in the demand for products, goods and services. To effectively design policies for urban sustainability, it is important to understand the trends of flows in energy and materials as they enter and leave a city. This knowledge is essential for determining the key elements characterizing future urban growth and addressing future supply challenges. Methods This paper presents an analysis of the energy and material flows in the city of Bogotá over the time span from 2001 to 2017. Urban flows are also characterized in terms of their temporal evolution with respect to population growth to compare and identify the changes in the main input flows, wealth production, emissions and waste in the city. Results The results of the analysis are then compared with those for other selected large urban agglomerations in Latin America and worldwide to highlight similarities and make inferences. The results show that in Bogotá, there was a decrease in some of the material flows, such as the consumption of water and the generation of discharge, in recent years, while there was an increase in the consumption of energy and cement and in the production of CO2 emissions and construction materials. Solid waste production remained relatively stable. With respect to the other large cities considered, we observe that the 10-year growth rates of the flows with respect to population growth are lower in Bogotá, particularly when compared with the other urban agglomerations in Latin America. Conclusions The findings of this study are important for advancing characterizations of the trends of material and energy flows in cities, and they contribute to the establishment of a benchmark that allows for the definition and evaluation of the different impacts of public policy while promoting the sustainability of Bogotá in the coming decades.

scholarly journals Amazonian Fire Events Disturbed the Global Carbon Cycle: A Study from 2019 Amazon Wildfire Using Google Earth Engine

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Subhajit Bandopadhyay ◽  
Dany A. Cotrina Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
Global Carbon Cycle ◽  
Forest Productivity ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Burned Area ◽  
Google Earth Engine ◽  
Global Carbon

An unprecedented number of wildfire events during 2019 throughout the Brazilian Amazon caught global attention, due to their massive extent and the associated loss in the Amazonian forest—an ecosystem on which the whole world depends. Such devastating wildfires in the Amazon has strongly hampered the global carbon cycle and significantly reduced forest productivity. In this study, we have quantified such loss of forest productivity in terms of gross primary productivity (GPP), applying a comparative approach using Google Earth Engine. A total of 12 wildfire spots have been identified based on the fire’s extension over the Brazilian Amazon, and we quantified the loss in productivity between 2018 and 2019. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) GPP and MODIS burned area satellite imageries, with a revisit time of 8 days and 30 days, respectively, have been used for this study. We have observed that compared to 2018, the number of wildfire events increased during 2019. But such wildfire events did not hamper the natural annual trend of GPP of the Amazonian ecosystem. However, a significant drop in forest productivity in terms of GPP has been observed. Among all 11 observational sites were recorded with GPP loss, ranging from −18.88 gC m−2 yr−1 to −120.11 gC m−2 yr−1, except site number 3. Such drastic loss in GPP indicates that during 2019 fire events, all of these sites acted as carbon sources rather than carbon sink sites, which may hamper the global carbon cycle and terrestrial CO2 fluxes. Therefore, it is assumed that these findings will also fit for the other Amazonian wildfire sites, as well as for the tropical forest ecosystem as a whole. We hope this study will provide a significant contribution to global carbon cycle research, terrestrial ecosystem studies, sustainable forest management, and climate change in contemporary environmental sciences.

Nanotechnology in Civil Engineering - A Review

2014 ◽  
Vol 935 ◽  
pp. 151-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sivakumar Naganathan ◽  
Charan Singh Jasbir Singh ◽  
Yim Wil Shen ◽  
Peng Eng Kiat ◽  
Sivadass Thiruchelvam
Keyword(s):  
Civil Engineering ◽  
Waste Water Treatment ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Concrete Pavement ◽  
Construction Process ◽  
Engineering Construction ◽  
Production Methods ◽  
High Performing ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Pavement Engineering

Nanotechnology can be used for design and construction processes in many areas since nanotechnology generated products have many unique characteristics. These characteristics can significantly fix current construction problems, and may change the requirement and organization of the construction process. This paper reviews the basic concept of nanotechnology, different types of nanomaterial and their manufacturing process as well as the applications of nanotechnology in different fields such as concrete, pavement engineering, construction materials. Use of nanotechnology is found to offer high performing and efficient materials. Specific application areas include water and waste water treatment, construction materials etc. The use of nanotechnology in civil engineering is still in infancy stage. The production methods, pollutions caused to human health, manufacturing difficulties, performance are the issues to be addressed in order to use the nanotechnology in civil engineering.

scholarly journals Environmental change impacts on the C- and N-cycle of European forests: a model comparison study

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 1751-1773 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. R. Cameron ◽  
M. Van Oijen ◽  
C. Werner ◽  
K. Butterbach-Bahl ◽  
R. Grote ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
N2o Emission ◽  
Forest Growth ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
European Forests ◽  
Considerable Uncertainty ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen

Abstract. Forests are important components of the greenhouse gas balance of Europe. There is considerable uncertainty about how predicted changes to climate and nitrogen deposition will perturb the carbon and nitrogen cycles of European forests and thereby alter forest growth, carbon sequestration and N2O emission. The present study aimed to quantify the carbon and nitrogen balance, including the exchange of greenhouse gases, of European forests over the period 2010–2030, with a particular emphasis on the spatial variability of change. The analysis was carried out for two tree species: European beech and Scots pine. For this purpose, four different dynamic models were used: BASFOR, DailyDayCent, INTEGRATOR and Landscape-DNDC. These models span a range from semi-empirical to complex mechanistic. Comparison of these models allowed assessment of the extent to which model predictions depended on differences in model inputs and structure. We found a European average carbon sink of 0.160 ± 0.020 kgC m−2 yr−1 (pine) and 0.138 ± 0.062 kgC m−2 yr−1 (beech) and N2O source of 0.285 ± 0.125 kgN ha−1 yr−1 (pine) and 0.575 ± 0.105 kgN ha−1 yr−1 (beech). The European average greenhouse gas potential of the carbon sink was 18 (pine) and 8 (beech) times that of the N2O source. Carbon sequestration was larger in the trees than in the soil. Carbon sequestration and forest growth were largest in central Europe and lowest in northern Sweden and Finland, N. Poland and S. Spain. No single driver was found to dominate change across Europe. Forests were found to be most sensitive to change in environmental drivers where the drivers were limiting growth, where changes were particularly large or where changes acted in concert. The models disagreed as to which environmental changes were most significant for the geographical variation in forest growth and as to which tree species showed the largest rate of carbon sequestration. Pine and beech forests were found to have differing sensitivities to environmental change, in particular the response to changes in nitrogen and precipitation, with beech forest more vulnerable to drought. There was considerable uncertainty about the geographical location of N2O emissions. Two of the models BASFOR and LandscapeDNDC had largest emissions in central Europe where nitrogen deposition and soil nitrogen were largest, whereas the two other models identified different regions with large N2O emission. N2O emissions were found to be larger from beech than pine forests and were found to be particularly sensitive to forest growth.

scholarly journals Research and development of civil engineering intelligent structure system

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongying Xu
Keyword(s):  
Research And Development ◽  
Future Development ◽  
Civil Engineering ◽  
Development Trend ◽  
Rapid Progress ◽  
Current Development ◽  
Engineering Construction ◽  
Structure System ◽  
Intelligent Structure ◽  
China’S Economy

<p>With the fast-paced development of China's economy, science and technology have made rapid progress, as well as the research on civil engineering construction. In particular, civil engineering intelligent structure system has evolved into one of the world's leading disciplines and is also the future development trend, attracting extensive attention and research from professionals in this field. This paper mainly analyzes the research and current development of civil engineering intelligent structure system, and gives reasonable suggestions based on the main problems, so as to provide some references for better development and progress of this technology.</p>

scholarly journals Simulated Variation Characteristics of Oceanic CO2 Uptake, Surface Temperature, and Acidification in Zhejiang Province, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuo Wang ◽  
Han Zhang ◽  
Gao-Feng Fan ◽  
Zheng-Quan Li ◽  
Zhen-Yan Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Co2 Uptake ◽  
Hydrogen Ion Concentration ◽  
Variation Characteristics ◽  
Oceanic Carbon

Since preindustrial times, atmospheric CO2 content increased continuously, leading to global warming through the greenhouse effect. Oceanic carbon sequestration mitigates global warming; on the other hand, oceanic CO2 uptake would reduce seawater pH, which is termed ocean acidification. We perform Earth system model simulations to assess oceanic CO2 uptake, surface temperature, and acidification for Zhejiang offshore, one of the most vulnerable areas to marine disasters. In the last 40 years, atmospheric CO2 concentration increased by 71 ppm, and sea surface temperature (SST) in Zhejiang offshore increased at a rate of 0.16°C/10a. Cumulative oceanic CO2 uptake in Zhejiang offshore is 0.3 Pg C, resulting in an increase of 20% in sea surface hydrogen ion concentration, and the acidification rate becomes faster in the last decade. During 2020–2040, under four RCP scenarios, SST in Zhejiang offshore increases by 0.3–0.5°C, whereas cumulative ocean carbon sequestration is 0.150–0.165 Pg C. Relative to RCP2.6, the decrease of surface pH in Zhejiang offshore is doubled under RCP8.5. Furthermore, simulated results show that the relationship between CO2 scenario and oceanic carbon cycle is nonlinear, which hints that deeper reduction of anthropogenic CO2 emission may be needed if we aim to mitigate ocean acidification in Zhejiang offshore under a higher CO2 concentration scenario. Our study quantifies the variation characteristics of oceanic climate and carbon cycle fields in Zhejiang offshore, and provides new insight into the responses of oceanic carbon cycle and the climate system to oceanic carbon sequestration.

scholarly journals The impact of the 2015/2016 El Niño on global photosynthesis using satellite remote sensing

2018 ◽  
Vol 373 (1760) ◽  
pp. 20170409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangzhong Luo ◽  
Trevor F. Keenan ◽  
Joshua B. Fisher ◽  
Juan-Carlos Jiménez-Muñoz ◽  
Jing M. Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Prognostic Models ◽  
Positive Anomaly ◽  
The Impact

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation exerts a large influence on global climate regimes and on the global carbon cycle. Although El Niño is known to be associated with a reduction of the global total land carbon sink, results based on prognostic models or measurements disagree over the relative contribution of photosynthesis to the reduced sink. Here, we provide an independent remote sensing-based analysis on the impact of the 2015–2016 El Niño on global photosynthesis using six global satellite-based photosynthesis products and a global solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) dataset. An ensemble of satellite-based photosynthesis products showed a negative anomaly of −0.7 ± 1.2 PgC in 2015, but a slight positive anomaly of 0.05 ± 0.89 PgC in 2016, which when combined with observations of the growth rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations suggests that the reduction of the land residual sink was likely dominated by photosynthesis in 2015 but by respiration in 2016. The six satellite-based products unanimously identified a major photosynthesis reduction of −1.1 ± 0.52 PgC from savannahs in 2015 and 2016, followed by a highly uncertain reduction of −0.22 ± 0.98 PgC from rainforests. Vegetation in the Northern Hemisphere enhanced photosynthesis before and after the peak El Niño, especially in grasslands (0.33 ± 0.13 PgC). The patterns of satellite-based photosynthesis ensemble mean were corroborated by SIF, except in rainforests and South America, where the anomalies of satellite-based photosynthesis products also diverged the most. We found the inter-model variation of photosynthesis estimates was strongly related to the discrepancy between moisture forcings for models. These results highlight the importance of considering multiple photosynthesis proxies when assessing responses to climatic anomalies. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘The impact of the 2015/2016 El Niño on the terrestrial tropical carbon cycle: patterns, mechanisms and implications'.

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