A material that began in the Arizona desert is appearing in scientific journals with surprising reports that it could transform our buildings and infrastructure.
This is because Ferrock has proven to be a more resistant and planet-friendly material than concrete.
It’s a story that began more than a decade ago at the University of Arizona, when doctoral student David Stone won an innovation competition for his cement substitute made from waste steel dust. Stone received a patent for Ferrock in 2013 and founded Iron Shell to commercialize it, according to a university report.
“This all started from an accidental discovery in a laboratory, which is actually what usually happens,” Stone said.
Innovating more sustainable construction methods is the goal of researchers around the planet using all types of materials, including mushroom and straw nets. The steel used fits perfectly into the mix.
“The search for sustainable alternatives… to current building systems is causing many new materials to emerge,” wrote Ilvy Bonnefin for Certified Energy in an article about Ferrock.
As for the material, it is stronger than concrete in several parameters: 13.5% for compressive strength; 20% for split tensile strength; and 18% for flexural strength, all at 28 days, according to ScienceDirect.
It is made from steel powder that is normally discarded and silica from pulverized glass. In fact, 95% of the materials manufactured by Ferrock are recycled, making it an economical option. There’s also impressive chemistry produced when it hardens that pulls carbon dioxide out of the air, reducing pollution, all according to Certified Energy.
We produce more than 4 billion tons of cement per year worldwide. The manufacturing process generates up to 8% of the planet’s air pollution, according to a Reuters article on concrete and the environment.
Ferrock images published by Certified Energy show brick-like slabs used for an apparent patio and a grout form that hardens to form a wall. The report notes that small-scale projects are more feasible until large quantities of residual steel can be reliably sourced.
The Certified Energy writer encouraged more research on Ferrock and other sustainable building materials.
And, if Stone’s words from 2014 are still true, he is working to try to bring Ferrock to the forefront.
“I’m in it for the long haul,” he said. “Time is on our side, as in this era of global warming unsustainable processes such as cement manufacturing will have to give way to greener alternatives.”