Lausanne – Sustainable material - Calcined clay limestone cements (LC3)
The concrete, polystyrene packaging and plastic that I use for my sculptures inspired my research on sustainable alternatives of these materials. In Lausanne, I visited the Laboratory of Construction Materials at the École Polytechnique Fédérale (EPFL) to meet with its director, Karen Scrivener, the inventor of a low-carbon emission cement called LC3 cement.
Professor Karen Scrivener and her team tested 80 types of clay from all over the world in search for the perfect low-carbon cement recipe.
I was inspired by her no nonsense approach. She is completely focused on creating a sustainable alternative to cement, which will not only become available in 20 years. Her team is already working with the cement industry in India and Cuba. After testing eighty types of clay in search for the perfect low-carbon cement recipe, these countries are already using LC3 cement to build infrastructure. We have no time to waste, she told me.
The visit made me appreciate how fascinating it is that we are still living in a world in which ancient and brand-new materials coexist.
