Sustainability is getting more and more attention during the last years. Also in the cement and concrete industry, attempts are made to minimize the environmental impact. Since concrete is the most widely used building material, every effort to make the product more environmentally friendly yields a profit. The research team of prof. dr. ir. Nele De Belie proposes different ways to decrease the environmental impact of concrete.

• Combined harmful processes affecting the cementitious materials
• Sustainable binders for concrete
• Durability of concrete
• Self-healing of concrete
• Completely recyclable concrete
• Microbial interactions with mineral building materials
• Cementitious materials with air-purifying and self-cleaning properties
• Non-destructive testing of fresh cementitious materials (ultrasound)
• Biogenic sulfuric acid corrosion (BSA)
• Experimental study and modeling of the interaction between bovine claw and concrete floor
• Impact of self-healing engineered materials on corrosion of reinforced concrete
• Recycling of construction and demolition waste