Samidha Pathak, Research and Development Manager, Nuvoco Vistas, discusses the future of cement and building materials.

The building materials sector has been a constant arena for innovation, evolving from the ancient use of stone and wood to the contemporary reliance on steel and concrete. Concrete stands out as the most widely utilised man-made material in the present day. Today, concrete remains a cornerstone in construction. The materials have evolved in coming times and will continue to do so with the rapid pace of innovations. As the industry continues to evolve, embracing new materials and techniques is crucial to meeting the demands of the modern world.
With the increasing stride in urbanisation and infrastructural boom, there will be a continued demand for increase in production of building materials. The industry should continue to emerge with new trends to ease the efforts for the end user and maximise productivity. However, it is the need of the hour that these innovations come with reduced carbon footprint and its reliance on virgin natural resources.
Cement sector is already being driven with many initiatives in operations like enhancing kiln and energy efficiencies, firing with alternate fuels to petcoke, utilising alternate raw materials and industrial wastes for clinkerisation, capturing flue gases which all initiatives are not only innovative but also sustainable.

Real time working
In processing and production, real time monitoring has become possible. Carbon Capture Utilisation and Sequestration (CCUS) is an emerging technology to offset the greenhouse gases emission. The ultra high-performance concrete with a composite of cement and fibres is now replacing reinforcement to a considerable extent. Design freedom with specialised concrete mix enabling digitised automated efficient and faster concrete structures is possible today because of 3D printed concrete.
Electricity conservation is possible with piezoelectric concrete, rainwater can now be harvested with previous concrete Smart glasses are able to control the heat and luminosity by changing their stimuli. Like the human body, which is able to self-heal, today concrete is able to heal its own cracks, too. To save water in curing, self-curing concrete is emerging with additives. Nano materials can improve reactivity at a micro level interface.
Construction chemicals are doing wonders in modifying the rheology, grindability, setting, acceleration and workability of cement, concrete, and mortars. The decarbonisation starts with cement, one of the key binders in the building materials and alkali activated binders and geopolymer concrete are eliminating clinker dependency using supplementary cementing materials.
Innovative building materials are reshaping the construction industry, offering novel solutions to longstanding challenges. A key characteristic of these advancements is circularity, emphasising meticulous design for reuse and recycling. This approach aims to significantly diminish waste and resource consumption, marking a pivotal shift toward more sustainable practices in the construction sector. Durability should be another benchmark for innovative materials ensuring that our cities stand the test of time with reduced maintenance. Futuristic innovation should be driven by maintaining resilience and efficiency, sustainable in the long run. Challenges like technical risks, lower acceptability to change, and increased costing can be a few barriers for scaling market acceptability of these innovative materials.
Innovation should become a value system rather than a selling pitch. The resourcefulness of human ingenuity and our innate search for easing jobs will continue to ignite an innovative spark thus overcoming the critical challenges we are facing today.

About the author
Samidha Pathak is the Research and Development Manager at Nuvoco Vistas Corp. With her expertise in R&D, she oversees the development of innovative products and solutions that meet the company’s strategic objectives. Her role involves leading cross-functional teams, collaborating with stakeholders, and driving projects from concept to execution.