sustainability

New bendable cement-free concrete can potentially make safer, long-lasting and greener infrastructure.

A new type of concrete that is made out of waste materials and can bend under load has been developed by researchers from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia.

This material, which incorporates industrial waste products such as fly ash produced by coal-fired power stations, is especially suited for construction in earthquake zones – in which the brittle nature of conventional concrete often leads to disastrous building collapses.

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Power to the people

Indonesia and Australia to research delivering power to remote communities and to grow cities

View the release in Bahasa Indonesia here.

Announcing a portfolio of research projects:

  • To bring sustainable energy to remote communities.
  • To increase the reliability of Indonesia’s urban power.
  • To guide Indonesia as it boosts its electricity generating capacity by 70 per cent.
  • To help Australia decarbonise/move away from coal.
  • Trials in Borneo and Kai Besar (off West Papua).

Researchers available for interview in Bahasa Indonesia and English. More images below.

Today the Indonesian Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources, Sudirman Said, will open the Indonesian Clean Energy Centre of Excellence in Bali, with Australia to be an important partner in the Centre’s new activities.

Local and national projects assessing clean energy options are underway by Indonesian and Australian scientists. Credit: Max Richter

Local and national projects assessing clean energy options are underway by Indonesian and Australian scientists. Credit: Max Richter

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